Charlotte Ann Molander | December 16, 1927 - October 31, 2021
Obituaries-Pierre / Posted Nov 9, 2021 | 6:12 AM / 267 views
Charlotte Ann Molander, 93, of Sioux Falls and formerly of Miller, passed away Sunday, October 31, 2021, at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls.
Funeral Mass will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, November 12, 2021, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Miller, with Father Paul T. Josten, celebrant. Burial will follow at St. Ann’s Catholic Cemetery in Miller. Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., followed by a 7:00 p.m. wake service, Thursday, November 11, 2021 at the church.
Charlotte Ann Beaner was born December 16, 1927, west of Sioux Falls in McCook County at her grandparent’s farm to Rupert and Mary (Lambertz) Beaner. She grew up the second of 16 children on a farm north of St Lawrence, SD. Along with helping with outside chores, she honed her skills in cooking and sewing. She remembered learning to sew without a pattern. With flour-sack or any other available material, she made pajamas for her siblings. If a pair didn’t fit one, it would fit another. Charlotte attended the Rosedale Grade School. During her high school years, she boarded in St Lawrence and worked various jobs.
She married Clarence Weaver in 1946. To that union were born two children, Dennis and Patricia. From a tragic accident, Charlotte became a widow in 1950. Through sadness and challenges of being a single mother, the Lord provided for her in many ways. One sparkling moment was winning a new 1951 Ford on a one dollar raffle. She was so touched she stated she was nauseous for two weeks!
In 1952, she married Ray (RJ) Molander, a faithful and loving husband and father to all their children. They grew their family to seven with the birth of Mary Jane, Bryan, and Nola. They raised their family in Wolsey, SD and Mason City, IA. While in Mason City, Charlotte babysat and then worked in a school cafeteria.
Charlotte and Ray were often times on the road traveling to their children’s homes. As often as we could, we all trekked to North Carolina to visit Patty, Terry, and their children. We were all together in Mason City for their 25th wedding anniversary celebration. Soon after they, along with Ruth and Lefty Ortbahn, took a trip to Hawaii which they enjoyed very much.
Charlotte and Ray moved to Apple Valley, MN in 1979. It was there she retired from the Rosemont School District after 11 years as head-cook/manager, consistently having the highest student lunch participation in the district. Her family can attest to her culinary talents and her sewing skills.
Whenever their children’s families visited, Charlotte always had a route mapped to attractions. She kept that sense of adventure throughout her life. With daughter Mary Jane, she visited seven countries. Her favorite memory…riding a camel in Egypt.
In 1989, Charlotte and Ray began wintering in Yuma AZ, living in a park-model at Country Roads Retirement Community for 18 years. They spent much of the summertime with their motor home parked at their children’s homes enjoying companionship, shared meals, and many laughs. They also travelled the country with a highlight trip to Alaska.
In 2002, they moved into a nice home in Sioux Falls, SD. Ray and Charlotte were happily married for 57 years before he passed in 2009. In 2012, Charlotte moved to Trail Ridge Retirement Community. With support from her children, she actively maintained her health and financial matters until recent months. Throughout her life, no matter her location or situation, she relied on her strong Catholic faith, always establishing her home with the Lord. We are grateful for her love and presence in our lives. We are thankful she’ll now join our Heavenly Father and those family members waiting for her.
There is always more to a story. Throughout her life she was a wonderful spirit and role model for her loved ones. She taught us to put on our “Big Girl Pants” and move on! If we could ask her today, she’d say, “I had a great life!”
Charlotte is survived by her children: Dennis (Deanna) Weaver of Tea, Mary Jane (David) Newell of Aurora, Bryan (Cherie) Molander of Mason City, IA, and Nola Immeker (Richard Campbell) of Colton; son-in-law, Terry (Dorothy) Tucker of Winston Salem, NC; 17 grandchildren: Alex, Karissa, Amanda, Jason, Adam, Joshua, Jessica, Susie, Amber, Jeremy, Amy, Angie, Ann, Tonya, Gina, Lessa, and Darren; 44 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren; sisters: Irene Fanning, Sandra (Darwin) Knutson, Ramona (Darrell) Lewis, Diann Knight, Mary Ann Butler, and Ellen (Bruce) Rook; brothers: Jim Beaner, Chuck (Judy) Beaner; and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.
Charlotte was preceded in death by her husband, Raynord (RJ); first husband, Clarence Weaver; daughter, Patricia (Weaver) Tucker; great granddaughter, infant Nora Ohm; parents, Rupert and Mary Beaner; parents in-law Nels and Maude Molander; sisters Donna Eschenbaum, Linda Terbell, and Rita Tibbitts; brothers Roger, Richard, Lloyd, and Donald Beaner; in-laws Sharon Beaner, Nina Beaner, Nancy Beaner, Robert Eschenbaum, Jack Fanning, Mike Butler, Ruth and Raynold Ortbahn, Ronald and Ives Molander, Ruby and Steve Picek, Marie and Bill Smith; and several nieces, nephews, and friends.
Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Charlotte’s arrangements.
