Kathleen aka Katherine Manson

Much has been written about Charles Manson and his affiliation with WV.  The Internet is full of Charles Manson information also.  This page is mostly about Charles's mother, Kathleen aka Katherine Manson.

First, from the Charleston Daily Mail

Gazette

Manson lived on Central Ave in NORTH CHARLESTON,  not Charleston.  The street is now gone.

If you cant read this,  click HERE for larger version

Sara Jane Moore & Manson 

Charleston Gazette

Corbin Daily Tribune Corbin KY Sept. 25, 1975 Manson, Sara Have Same Hometown Charleston W.Va (AP) Sara Jane Kahn and Charles Manson bought a lot of candy from Van Watson when they were children. "Sara Jane was a serious pupil but Manson liked to play a little bit of hooky," says Watson.  Sara Jane, now Sara Jane Moore, is in jail for trying to kill President Ford.  Manson is serving life in prison for the 1969 murder of actress Sharon Tate and six others.  And, one of Manson's followers, Lynette Fromme , also is charged with trying to kill the president, in a separate incident. "Kathleen Manson, Charles' mother, was a clerk in my store for three or four months," Watson said in an interview Monday.  Charles was about 9 or 10 years old then, around 1942.  He was an ordinary boy, nothing outstanding, I sold him a lot of candy.   He'd come in two or three times a day, whenever he got a penny." Watson said he was shocked to learn that Sara Jane Kahn was the person accused of shooting at the president.  "I knew her from childhood," he said.  "She came into the store to buy candy on her way to school.  She was a loner- almost always by herself.  She never had much to say about anything.  She always had a couple of books under her arm and seemed to take school seriously." The Kahn's lived in a big log house up Woodward Dr. from his store and the Manson's lived in a house across the street from his store.  "I was very much surprised the way those two turned out," Watson said.  "Charles wasn't much good at going to school- he liked to play a little bit of hooky.  But I expected Sara Jane to grow up and become somebody with a good education and a responsible position in life.  I never dreamed she would be somebody who'd try to kill the President." It is not known whether Manson and Sara Jane Kahn knew each other while living here.

MANSON DIED ON NOV 19, 2017.

During and right after WWII , school children were  requested (required) to give their fingerprints for identification purposes.  This image from the WV State Police Charlie Manson's fingerprints at 8 years of age.

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