Charlotte Jean Dressel Christensen

Charlotte peacefully passed away Monday, October 12, 2020 in Appleton, Wisconsin with her son and daughter-in-law by her side. Following a stroke, Charlotte and her husband Bob had moved to Appleton last spring to be near family.

Daughter of Harry and Grace Dressel, Charlotte grew up in Evanston, Illinois and attended Niles Township High School. She went to college at Carroll College (now University) in Waukesha, Wisconsin where she majored in Biology and was a member of the Chi Omega sorority. During her early working days, she met Robert Christensen on a blind date and they married in 1956. They would have celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary at the end of October.

Living in the Milwaukee area for most of her adult life, you may have known Charlotte from her time as a hostess at the Mandarin restaurant on Bluemound. Or perhaps you were a fellow model in Goodwill fashion shows where she volunteered doing alterations to antique clothing and modeling in shows where her petite size allowed her to fit into dresses that seem impossibly small for today’s ‘’modern” woman. Maybe you knew her from church – particularly Whitnall Park Lutheran Church where she and Bob regularly took their seat in ‘’their pew’’ on the left side, near the front…just not too near. Or perhaps you played bridge with her, had her beat you in Scrabble at the Regency or were a fellow member of her exercise class or book club. If you were one of the truly lucky family members or friends, you were the beneficiary of her hospitality and her excellent cooking. Many family members are going to miss her pumpkin bars and other special treats.

Charlotte decided many years ago that Thanksgiving and Christmas were too close together and came at a time of year when Wisconsin’s weather was not conducive to family gatherings. She felt that Canada had it right by celebrating the bountiful harvest in October. For many years she organized wonderful dinners for family and friends to celebrate that holiday together. It seems very fitting that she stayed with us until that day this year.

Charlotte is survived by her husband Bob, children: Craig (Lisa) Christensen and Sue (Charles) Stites; grandchildren: Kelsey (Matt) McCauley, Eric Christensen, Avery and Anna Stites, and several great grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and friends.

We will miss her but we know that we were all loved and remembered by her. Birthdays and other holidays just won’t be the same without the cards she never failed to send.

Due to COVID restrictions, there will be no service at this time. We look forward to a Celebration of Life in the future when we may all be able to gather together to remember her and celebrate the wonderful life she lived and all the ways she touched ours.