Contributions to the tribute of Charlotte Maxine Simolke

J

Thursday, May 7, 2020

+ 11

This page only allows me to upload 15 photos at a time. So this is part 4 of the photos I am uploading. For my memories and thoughts on Aunt Charlotte, please see my previous post. My love to you all family..

J

Jessica McGowan Smith uploaded photo(s)

Thursday, May 7, 2020

+ 11

This page only allows me to upload 15 photos at a time. So this is part 3 of the photos I am uploading. For my memories and thoughts on Aunt Charlotte, please see my previous post. My love to you all family..

J

Jessica McGowan Smith uploaded photo(s)

Thursday, May 7, 2020

+ 11

This page only allows me to upload 15 photos at a time. So this is part 2 of the photos I am uploading. For my memories and thoughts on Aunt Charlotte, please see my previous post. My love to you all family..

J

Jessica McGowan Smith uploaded photo(s)

Thursday, May 7, 2020

+ 11

I have not had time to think about what to say about losing such a wonderful Aunt. So instead, I have been going through photos of Aunt Charlotte. Really, it feels like there is nothing possible to say with this loss. We love Aunt Charlotte and we miss her lots. Aunt Charlotte was so much fun, and she was funny too. She could be loud and flashy in the best possible ways. She seemed to love to make a scene or put on a show to make people smile and laugh. She was also one tough cookie. When I look back at the photos, it is hard to remember her being as short as she was because around her you always felt her big presence. She may have been short, but she was as strong as anyone I know and worked hard throughout her life as proof. Aunt Charlotte was not the most demonstrative in love — she sometimes stiffened under too many hugs, but there was never any question about her love. She loved her family as best as she knew how. This is shown again in the photos and in how she showed up. She was there by phone through the years, giving advice and comments to us and to our mom, even if she was more than 3,000 miles away. Then when there were really big milestones, graduations, weddings, family events, she showed up. Those were the times that we really got to know and love her. Aunt Charlotte loved her sisters, nieces, and nephews, and she also had great love for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was proud of all of them. If you ever talked with her for more than 5 minutes you knew that she was proud of her family because she always talked about them and what they were doing, which is another way that she showed her love. Aunt Charlotte was a world-class nurse. She was the "old school" type of nurse who we could always talk to for medical advice and who wore her nursing cap throughout her career. She spent her nursing career working in hospitals. I remember talking to her years ago about about taking it easier and working as an occupational nurse or in an assisted living. She would not consider it because she wanted to use her skills where they were needed. She had a lot of skills and know-how when it came to nursing care, and her patients were lucky to have her. Even with pain in her back, knees, ankles and feet, she still was the one getting patients up and exercising them after their surgeries while other younger nurses may not have done as much. That was just her way. We have really lost something in this family without her to ask for medical information or advice. Aunt Charlotte was a great baker. She loved to make cakes, cookies and all sorts of delicious treats. One funny story was when she was invited to her church's Christmas cookie swap. Aunt Charlotte misunderstood that she was supposed to bake 20 sets of a dozen cookies of different flavors (actually, she was just supposed to bring a batch of one flavor). Aunt Charlotte spent countless hours baking and coming up with different types of cookies to bring. When she showed up and learned her mistake, she laughed about it and shared all the cookies she brought with her church friends. I wished we lived closer to enjoy all the delicious treats she would describe by phone that she was making through the years. I know that my mom is especially sad that she won't get to have anymore of her sister's Christmas tree cookies. Another thing I have to mention is our navy connection because of Aunt Charlotte. My mom talks about growing up with Aunt Charlotte bringing home her fellow navy men home to visit when they were too far to visit their own families while on leave. She taught our mom navy songs, that my mom taught to us as kids, that we still can sing to this day. Aunt Charlotte's service in the navy is quite impressive, and we are very proud of her for that. She is the reason that we have a special love for the navy and for sailors. We are heartsick that Aunt Charlotte missed meeting our baby daughter by a matter of days. She truly would have been a Great Aunt to Eden in every meaning of the term. Even with the beginnings of the pandemic, we know that Aunt Charlotte was looking forward to the trip, and we were too. However, we take comfort in the shared "daily" text photos of Eden that we sent to her and that she sometimes would comment on. We know that Aunt Charlotte loved baby Eden, even if she never got to meet her in person, that is just her way. It feels so unreal that Aunt Charlotte is gone. Death and separation are not natural, which is why it hurts so much. We take comfort in that Aunt Charlotte was a woman of great faith. She loved her church and her church friends that she talked about often. We take comfort in that we know that we will see Aunt Charlotte again. When we do, she will be as strong and as beautiful as her spirit always was and there will be no more troubles, sickness, sadness, pain or any of the things that make life here so hard—that is our blessed hope. We love you Aunt Charlotte, and we look forward to seeing you again when we will never part again. Our prayers are with all of the family. We love you all. Natasha said something beautiful about how even with this tragic event, Aunt Charlotte is bringing the family back together. For that we are thankful. You have our hearts even if we do not live close enough to see each other often. Please let's keep in touch. Lots of love from Jessica (McGowan) Smith and family "For I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." ~2 Timothy 4:7-8 "I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth were completely gone. There was no more sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. It was prepared like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne. It said, “Look! God now makes his home with the people. He will live with them. They will be his people. And God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death.’ And there will be no more sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be.” He who was sitting on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down. You can trust these words. They are true.” ~Revelation 21:1-5 TELL THEM NOW ~Author Unknown If with pleasure you are viewing Any work someone is doing If you like it or you love it, tell them now Do not withhold your approbation ‘Til the pastor makes oration And they rest with snow white lilies on their brow For then no matter how you shout it They won’t hear a word about it They won’t know how many teardrops you have shed For they cannot read it on their tombstone when they’re dead More than prayers and more than money Is the comment kind and sunny And the hearty warm approval of a friend So if you love someone bestow it Don’t be afraid to let them know it Let the words of your encouragement be said Do not wait till life is over and they’re underneath the clover For they cannot read it on their tombstone when they’re dead.

Evelyn Lyckman posted a condolence

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

So sad to hear of " Smokie's " passing...way to early. She was such a character --- made you laugh a lot ! Worked at Good Sam with her and even tho she had health issues, she always had some smart retort. if you told her you were sorry about them. Goodbye, Smolke, I am sure you were overjoyed to meet your Lord.

M

Michael Simolke posted a condolence

Friday, April 17, 2020

My Mom was the strongest woman i have ever know and i miss her so much. She would at least text me every day letting me know she loved me and my family and i miss getting those texts everyday. I know she is now in heaven with my dad resting easy. Miss you Mom and will never forget you and hope to see you again one day.

s

The family of Charlotte Maxine Simolke uploaded a photo

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Charlotte Maxine Simolke

1942 - 2020

Plant a tree in memory of Charlotte