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A wonderful mom and grandmother left her earthly
home for her heavenly home on Tuesday, September 25, 2007.
Charlotte Dorothy Haun Schlenker was surrounded by
her children when she died from a heart attack. This was how she
would have wanted to go. She was always very clear that she did not
want to have a stroke, nor did she want to go to a nursing home. She
got her wish on both accounts. And for that, all who loved her are
happy along with her.
Charlotte was born to Carl & Mary Haun on July 14,
1921 in Lewistown, Montana. She along with her seven brothers and
sisters grew up very poor in Winifred, Montana. This was poor in
material goods only, but rich in family. After she graduated from
high school, the family moved to Kinsey, Montana. She did not go to
college, but was very proud that all of her children had college
degrees.
Over the years, the family vacations all centered
around trips to visit her brothers and sisters, and their vacations
were in Montana. As a result of these vacations, get togethers and
reunions, all of Mom’s brothers and sisters and all of the cousins
became a very close knit family; and to this day, the cousins are
like siblings and aunts and uncles were like second parents. Oh, the
stories we would hear about them growing up during the depression in
Winifred, the country dances, WWII, and many, many more.
During World War II, mom and her three sisters
boarded the Greyhound bus and headed to San Diego to do their part
in the war effort. She helped build planes for Consolidated
Airlines. She and her sisters had lots of stories to tell of those
San Diego years as "Rosie the Riveter" and when we were growing up,
it was always fun to get them talking about all their escapades.
Charlotte was late to marry, late to have children
and late to have grandchildren, but she did them all and was able to
enjoy her four children and five grandchildren until she was over 86
years old. She married our dad, Alvin, on November 21, 1948. They
were married for almost 57 years when he passed away in August 2005.
They lived in Miles City until a move to Glendive in 1954. In 1957,
work brought them to Billings where they lived in the same house
until they died. Almost fifty years in the same home makes for a
lifetime of memories for her children and grandchildren.
She and Dad had four children. Dona Cranston
(Monty), Kenny Schlenker (Gretchen), Carol Keenan (John), and Tami
Evenson (Mike). She took good care of all of us; and in the past
couple of years, we took good care of her. Her four children all
lived with 10 minutes of her and she loved having one or all of us
there every day.
She was very proud of her grandchildren and they
could always count on looking out at the crowd or audience and
seeing Grandma cheering them on in their many activities. She was
pretty honest about the fact that she didn’t really care for the
music, plays, sports, but was there to see her Libby, Connor, Mary
Kate, Sam or Max perform. The Saturday before she died, she was at
Max’s soccer game happily celebrating his goal and laughing at all
the falling and tumbling he did on the field.
Charlotte started work at Public Auction Yards in
the mid-sixties and her kids became some of the first latch key kids
in the neighborhood. She loved working and took great pride in the
fact that she learned how to do all her work on a computer before
she retired in her 70’s.
When Mom no longer worked at PAYS, she began
volunteering at both the Deaconess and St. Vincent’s Hospitals. She
met so many great people both places and particularly liked working
in the pharmacy at Deaconess. One summer she got to work with her
granddaughter Libby when she volunteered, and Grandma loved showing
Libby the ropes in "her" department. She looked beautiful in her
coral colored volunteer jacket and the people who worked there were
lucky enough to enjoy lots of her baked goods over the years.
Mom had some health issues that she battled over
the years. But she was determined to take control of these and not
allow them to control her. She began walking and watching her diet
to minimize the effects of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart
problems. It worked and we know that she added very many healthy,
active years to her life. She was a regular walker and until she
broke her hip in 2006; there was nothing that could keep her from
her at least daily walks. She was very proud of the fact that people
were always shocked when they learned her age (thinking she was much
younger than she was). She never failed to relay those comments…over
and over!
Charlotte was a fabulous "everyday" cook. Everyone
who had the privilege to eat in her kitchen was lucky and had a
favorite she would cook just for them. For years she entered things
in the fair. Sometimes it was pies, sometimes rolls. She most often
won at least one blue ribbon and became put out in later years if
she didn’t. This year she entered her brownies and received the
"Best of Show" for them. When Carol brought her the ribbon, her
comment was that she felt like it was a good send off for her. We
think maybe she knew that those brownies would be her last entry.
There are two remaining siblings from Mom’s
family. She was predeceased by her parents, her sisters Mary Jo Haun
Thompson, Juanita Haun Lehr (who beat Charlotte to heaven by only
two months); brothers Dick Haun, Russell Haun & Jack Haun; special
sister-in-law Gladys Haun and her husband Alvin who she has missed
so much in the past two years.
Charlotte was so loved by those who survive her.
We will all miss her phone calls, her worrying, her cooking, and
everything that made her the best mom and grandma in the world, most
of all that she was always there for all of us. She is survived her
children Dona, Kenny, Carol, and Tami and grandchildren, Libby,
Connor, Mary Kate, Sam and Max all of Billings, sister Myrt (Jimmy)
Richardson of Ashton, Illinois, brother Billy Haun of Bozeman,
sister-in-law Betty Haun of Billings, many special nieces and
nephews, brother & sister-in-laws Don and Lorraine Stolts of Powell,
WY, and Rayanda Woods of Idaho Falls, Idaho. Her special kitty,
Katie was such good company for her in her last years as well.
Please join us to celebrate Charlotte’s life on
Monday, October 1 at First United Methodist Church, 2800 4th
Avenue North, at 2:00 p.m. with burial to follow at Yellowstone
Valley Memorial Park, 3605 Grand Avenue, at 4:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, should you desire, donations
can be made to Help for Homeless Pets, PO Box 1282, Billings, MT
59103; Billings Clinic Volunteer Services, PO Box 37000 Billings, MT
59107, or the charity of your choice.
Take the time to hug your mom and tell her you
love her today. |