Charles W. Wade was born in 1872 in Mercer County, Illinois. He moved with his parents to Maryville, Mo., as a small boy and attended public school in that city. Mr. Wade came to Fairfield in 1897 and purchased a small variety store. He began his business with $257 which he had saved from his earnings as a store clerk in Maryville. The business moved to the south side of the Fairfield square where it opened under the name of the Fair Store and was the city’s largest department store. The store closed in 1943 after 46 years of continuous operation. He was a member of the First Presbyterian church and the Fairfield Rotary club. He held many civic responsibilities including the Jefferson County hospital, Parsons College, Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield library, and Iowa State Bank. He died Jan. 26, 1956. He was elected for the Fiftieth Extraordinary Session in 1944 to fill the vacancy of Sanford Zeigler of Jefferson County. He was elected to serve only in a single session.