Obituary - Charlotte Loreen Chvilicek

Charlotte Loreen Chvilicek passed away Wednesday, July 23, 2019, in Roseburg, Oregon, after a brief illness.

She was preceded in death by her eldest son, James L., and her husband, James A. Chvilicek.

She is survived by her daughter-in-law Tracy (Larry LaFountain) of Great Falls, MT; her children, Larry (Mary) of Manhattan, MT, Marie (Stuart Anderson) of Roseburg, OR, John (Gayle) of Kalispell, MT, Patricia (Kevin Luehrs) of Broomfield, CO, Rebecca (Michael Tunzi) of Oakland OR, and Raymond of Missoula, MT; 16 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Charlotte lived a full and rewarding life as a loving wife and mother.

Charlotte was born in Ashland, KY, on April 29, 1930 to Marion and Bertha Meadows as the second youngest of six children. During her high school years, she and her sister Lena came west to Hingham, Montana, where she met James Chvilicek. They were married on June 22, 1950 and spent the first few years of their marriage in Havre, MT before moving to the family farm north of Hingham. It was here that Charlotte transitioned into the role of a farm wife. She successfully raised seven children in the tiny farmhouse. There were many times when she would put whatever she was doing on hold to answer the farm two-way radio because Jim would be out in the field and would be worried about the farmhouse blowing away (she would also give a healthy eye roll at these interruptions).

She was an avid gardener and somehow nurtured beautiful flower beds in the harsh north-central Montana climate. Her cooking was loved by all of her children, as well as the neighbors and local kids who would invariably show up around dinner time. She successfully blended her southern-style cooking with that of the farm-style cooking. The only bad meals were the ones where she told her kids to "make it yourself." Out of necessity to keep seven hungry bellies full, she also mastered canning; with her pear jam as the favorite among all the children.

Charlotte was a devout Catholic and was active in the Catholic Ladies Club and a proud member of the Daughters of The American Revolution.

Early in her retirement, she enjoyed traveling to visit her children and grandchildren around Montana and Oregon as well as her family in Virginia. In fact, she was given the nickname of "The Wayward Widow," a name she proudly owned. After a few years of travel, she settled down in Hingham, went all in on and began avidly sewing and making many beautiful quilts for her loved ones.

In 1996, she moved to Roseburg to be closer to family and to enjoy a more moderate climate. There she volunteered in the Mental Health Service Department and the local V.A. hospital. She returned to Kalispell, MT, in 2006, living near her son John and his family and a quiet life of sewing and reading. At the time of her passing, she was living in Oakland, Oregon, with her daughter Rebecca and her family.

Charlotte's funeral Mass is at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 8, 2019, at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic church in Hingham, MT, followed by burial at the Chvilicek Family Cemetery north of Hingham. A luncheon will follow at the Rudyard Catholic Center in Rudyard, MT.

Memorial donations may be made in Charlotte's name to the Altar Society, in care of LaNay Warren.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services.

Please visit Charlotte's online memorial page at http://www.hollandbonine.com to leave a message for her family.

KNEA 625. Snow-white to Pipestem. 'Ya got a copy?