Obituary of Charlotte Gould
A visitation for Charlotte Gould, 94, of Milford, will be held Wednesday, August 17, 2022 from 2:00-3:00 PM at Turner Jenness Funeral Home in Milford. A memorial service will be at 3:00 PM at the funeral home followed by a luncheon at Florence Park.
Charlotte Irene Gould was born February 2, 1928, to Daniel Jespersen and Nora Hagedorn Jespersen in rural Clay County, Iowa. She spent her childhood in Royal, was baptized and confirmed in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, and graduated from Royal High School as salutatorian of her class in 1945. Charlotte worked at the Royal Phone Company following high school. On February 2, 1947, Charlotte married Charles Gould from Milford, Iowa, and together they had two children, Mark and Lynne. In the early years of their marriage, Charles and Charlotte lived in the town of Fostoria, and shortly after, moved west of Fostoria where she was a wonderful wife, mother, and homemaker. Following her husband’s retirement in 1978, the couple made their home in Milford for the remainder of their years.
In her youth, Charlotte was an excellent student and girls’ basketball player. She also worked at the Toft Grocery Store in Royal, enjoying friendships and social gatherings in spite of her shy nature. Gentle Charlotte had a sense of humor, brought out even more after meeting Charles and marrying him. Through their 64 years together, Charlotte enjoyed gardening, baking, cooking, and creating a warm, safe home environment for her family. Academically inclined, she assisted her children with school projects and homework willingly and frequently. A skilled seamstress, she sewed many clothing items for her children as they grew, as well as sewing designer draperies and other window treatments for Twetten’s Interiors, located then in Spencer. In addition, Charlotte was very artistic and skilled in crochet, needlework, macramé, and crafts. For several years she was part of a painting group with her friends, all lifelong neighbors. Her favorite creative activity, however, was woodworking. After helping her son Mark’s construction company with painting walls and staining doors and trim, she found joy and success in cutting wooden jewelry pieces and then developed more skill in building children’s furniture and making picture frames. What a blessing she was!
Charlotte enjoyed board games and cards, and she treasured her Friday lunches and afternoon “card group” with her best friends: Phoebe, Mary S., Phyllis, Arla, Mary H., Doris, Jan, and Dora. Charlotte will be most remembered for her extraordinary hospitality and kindness, always putting others before herself. Underlying Charlotte’s life was her quiet but ever-present faith in God’s provision and overall plan. Charlotte loved spending time with her family and delighted in seeing her grandchildren and great-grandsons.
Charlotte passed away July 26, 2022 at her home in Milford.
Charlotte is survived by her son Mark and his wife Mary (Domito), of Taos, New Mexico; her daughter Lynne and her husband Steve Milton; granddaughter Eva (Derner) Kar and her husband Burak, and grandson Isaac Derner; and great-grandsons John Edward and William Charles, all of Milford. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Gould; parents Daniel and Nora Jespersen; brothers Raymond, Norman, Calvin, Franklin, and Dale; and a sister Marion.
Charlotte and her sweet, loving personality will be missed very much by her family and friends.