Charles W. Atherton was born 1845 (according to his memoir) or 1840 (according to his gravestone) (1840 is the more likely date, given his war record). He was educated in Illinois. After serving in the military for three years of the Civil War, he was admitted on trial to the Central Illinois Conference (year unknown, but probably around 1868). He spent ten years in the Central Illinois Conference, with appointments in the Illinois churches of Secor, Pennington Point, Pleasant Mound, Elvaston, and Preemption. He came to Kansas in 1878 and was admitted to the Kansas Conference. For the next 36 years he served the churches of Troy, Richland, Overbrook, Admire, Parkdale, Topeka, Hollenberg, White City, and Haddam. He is listed as having supernumerary status after 1900. Rev. Atherton married Sarah Abigail Floyd (1838-1914) of Hopedale, Ill, in 1867. They had five children. Rev. Atherton died on December 30, 1924, at age 85, at the home of his daughter in Baldwin, Kansas. His obituary stated that he was also survived by two sons, James (Pittsburgh, Penn.) and Charles (Cherryvale, Kan.). Another son, Joseph M. Atherton (1868-1916) had preceded him in death. Rev. O. E. Allison of Baldwin presided over the funeral service. Rev. Atherton was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas. Rev. Atherton's memoir can be found in the Kansas Conference Journal for 1925, page: 62. His wife Sarah's memoir is in the Kansas Conference Journal for 1915, page: 62.

Note written by Sarah St. John