Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Bailiff and LV pioneer dies

Born: Oct. 26, 1925, in Los Angeles.

Military: Navy, World War II.

Services: 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 315 S. Casino Center Blvd. Visitation: 5-7 p.m. today at Palm Mortuary, 7400 W. Cheyenne Ave.

Survivors: Wife, Nora Horden; a daughter, Ann Marie Horden Kovacic; a son, Buzz Horden; and four grandchildren, all of Las Vegas.

Donations: In Charles Horden's memory to the Special Olympics Nevada, 4680 Polaris Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89103.

Clark County District Court bailiff Charlie Horden cherished mementos of his family's deep roots in Las Vegas.

They included a gold watch lost by a gambler in a game of chance in his father's Gem Saloon on First Street near Stewart Avenue -- the infamous Block 16 where prostitution and gambling flourished in the early 20th century.

And Horden treasured a couple of dime-sized tokens from the Las Vegas Club on Fremont Street. The Las Vegas Club was founded by his family in 1915, 10 years after they opened their saloon. Each token was for a night's stay worth 25 cents.

Charles Robert Horden, the youngest and last surviving of the nine children of Las Vegas pioneers John Wesley Horden and the former Catherine McQuade, died last Tuesday. He was 79.

"Charlie was very much proud of his family's past," said Nora Horden, a former showgirl at the Flamingo, Desert Inn, New Frontier and Silver Slipper and Horden's wife of 49 years.

"He was involved in many things in the community. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus since he was 17 years old and served as past president of the Fraternal Order of Police."

Horden initially joined the old Clark County Sheriff's Department, where he wore a black-and-white western-cut uniform with a Stetson hat. He was issued Badge No. 37. Horden later served for 38 years as a District Court bailiff.

His duties there included keeping an eye on the jury during the Howard Hughes Mormon Will trial -- a jury that ruled that Melvin Dummar was not an heir to the late reclusive billionaire. Dummar's claim that he had picked up Hughes in the desert in 1967 became the basis for the movie "Melvin and Howard."

During his years in District Court Horden worked for several judges, including John Mowbray, Keith Hayes and Stephen Huffaker.

Ed Koch can be reached at (702) 259-4090 or at [email protected].

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