Charlotte was born March 22, 1934 in Cloquet, Minnesota to Lester and Edith Harrison.
Charlotte was an intelligent and inquisitive child. She was especially close to her dad who worked in the timber industry. She often accompanied him on hunting or fishing adventures in the Lake Superior Gunflint Trail region. She learned early to have respect for nature, and to love the smell of a campfire.
When Charlotte was 4, the family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. The world was in a depression. Money was scarce, but the family managed to buy a modest brand-new house in St. Paul’s Highland Park suburb for $4,000. The suburb was filled with vacant lots and open spaces.
Charlotte’s mother Edith was a homemaker who ran the household with efficiency.
Highland Park during Char’s childhood had lots of open space.
Charlotte remembered collecting milkweed pods as she walked the few blocks to Horace Mann Elementary School The silk from the pods was used for making parachutes in the war effort. The events of the Depression and the WWII period—gas rationing, victory gardens, food rationing and even availability of bubble gum—were defining moments in her life.
She remembered many historic events such as the devastating Armistice Day Blizzard in 1940.
During her family’s annual excursions via to Connecticut to visit her grandparents and cousins, Char remembered traveling servicemen, coming and going, many were wounded.
Charlotte was an avid, lifelong reader. She loved to read about the out-of-doors and about girls like Nancy Drew who overcame the odds. Organized sports for girls in those days was rare, but Char was tall and especially adept at ice skating. She and her brother Craig spent many hours on the outdoor rinks during the long Minnesota winters. She had fond memories of going to the St. Paul Winter carnival and to ten cent movies at the local theater. Seeing the premier of The Wizard of Oz at age 4 left her justifiably terrified of flying monkeys and wicked witches.
In the summers Craig and Charlotte rode their bikes to the swimming pool and library. Hot summer afternoons were spent outdoors playing paper dolls, board games, hopscotch, and roller-skating with friends.
Charlotte attended St. John’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul where she sang in the choir and was confirmed.
At Central High School in St. Paul, Charlotte excelled in creative writing and lived on tuna fish sandwiches for lunch. In 1955 she graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Political Science.
In college, she met Tom Cole, four years her senior. They became engaged. Tom went to serve in the US Army while Char stayed behind to complete her degree.
After college, Char and Tom married and moved to Watertown SD where Tom went to work in his family’s oil distribution business, Cole’s Texaco.
In those days, life for educated women different from life today. Char enjoyed learning to play golf, joined PEO, and continued to play bridge, a popular pastime among college students. She was an exceptional bridge player and enjoyed the company of women with similar backgrounds. She was honored at a luncheon for members of PEO whose years of service exceeded 50.
When their children, Meg and Bob, reached elementary school, Char returned to the university for a teaching certificate. She taught Spanish at the Lincoln Learning Lab in Watertown. Later, she taught technical writing and business English at the Watertown Business University.
Char was a gifted fabric artist. She took up cross stitch and created some exceptional fabric renderings of rural scenes. Char adopted her children’s interests. Following Meg’s interests, Char learned to ride a horse and cross-country ski. When Bob and her husband Tom started renovating a Model A Ford, she became active on this project as well. For several years, the family enjoyed ice-boating on Lake Kampeska.
After teaching, Char worked alongside Tom helping with the bookwork until his death in 1995. She also became a licensed real estate agent, but she preferred working in retail clothing sales. She enjoyed helping others choose stylish outfits at Feinsteins, and Dorothys in Watertown. However, Life Styles in Belle Fourche was her favorite place to shop for herself. Char was well-known for her stylish and extensive wardrobe.
Five years following Tom’s death, she dealt with breast cancer.
Following this health scare, she began to travel with her brother Craig and Jackie Harrison, and with her cousin from Connecticut. She ventured on an Alaskan cruise, travelled extensively through the United States, and visited Europe.
After a hip replacement five years ago, Char moved to Belle Fourche where she resided comfortably at Belle Estates. She enjoyed long drives in the countryside and always found the western sky and landscape remarkably beautiful and interesting.
Survivors include her children: Meg English (John), Robert Cole, (Cindy); grandchildren, Lance Cole, Tyler Cole, Stephen Cole, Samantha Cole, Tyler English, and Shay English; Great-grandchildren, Logan Gronke-Cole, McKenzie Dye, Taylor English, Teaunah English, Tessa English, Taten Adams, Kyriss Espy, Killian English, and Neveah Card. Neice; Laurie Officer (Tom), Jolynn Saufley (Dennis) Nephews; David Harrison (Lenae), David Cole and numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills at 4 PM on Friday, April 4th. There will be no visitation. Inurnment will take place at Mount Hope Cemetery in Watertown SD. The funeral service will be available to view on the funeral home’s website: www.LeveringtonFH.com
