Charlotte was born June 7, 1928, in Orofino, to Charley R. Baker and A. Louise (Sheridan) Baker. She went to heaven on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, surrounded by all her children and other family.
Charlotte, the oldest of five children, spent her first nine years in Pierce. Her father died when she was almost 6 years old, leaving Louise to raise the family through the Depression years. The family moved to Orofino and settled in the area called "Jingle Town." After a few years, Charlotte's mother purchased a rooming house in town as both a business opportunity and a family home. Charlotte enjoyed growing up in Orofino, especially the opportunity to roam the hills around town with her brothers and sisters.
Money was hard to come by during the Great Depression. Charlotte developed a strong work ethic as she grew up. She fondly remembered the summer when she was 16 and "flunkied" at Potlatch's Logging Camp 52 near Headquarters. Through school and college, she almost always had a job, including being a waitress in high school and making sandwiches to sell in her college dorm. She took this hard-working approach through her life and into her 20-year career at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, from which she retired in 1993.
The impact and lifelong consequences of not attending school past seventh grade made her mother encourage Charlotte to get a good education. She learned the lesson well, graduating from Orofino High School in 1946 - "Once a Maniac, always a Maniac." She then enrolled at the University of Idaho, going from Maniac to Vandal. While attending the UI she lived at Ridenbaugh Hall, the women's cooperative dorm. She liked living there because many of the women were from Orofino, and she made numerous lifelong friends. At Idaho, she completed her degree in education and went on to teach for a number of years before "taking a break" to raise five children - all of whom she considered smart and one she thought was good-looking.
After graduating from college, Charlotte moved to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, where she started her teaching career. She met George O. White, and they married in 1954. George and Charlotte made their home in the Orchards, raising their five children (John, Shanon, George, Joseph and Mary). Times in the White household were not always easy, but Mom always made it a priority to show love and affection to her family. Charlotte's children will always remember and appreciate her faith, positive approach to life and the twinkle in her eyes as she shared her sense of humor and quick wit. She kept these traits to the end of her life. While in the hospital, days before she died, she heard someone say there was a policeman on the floor. She replied, "Someone should help him up."
George died in 1988, and in 1997 Charlotte married Rulon Moon. They were married for 17 years, living in Clarkston. During their marriage they enjoyed wintering in Arizona, camping and spending time with Charlotte's family. They also cherished their visits with Rulon's children (Steve and Holly Moon, Sandy Lee, Tami Moon and Kathi and Mike Decker) and grandchildren. Rulon passed away in 2014.
In her last three years, Charlotte lived in the Lewiston Orchards, both at her own home and later at Brookdale Assisted Living. During this period, she really appreciated her time with family. She was always happy to see and talk with any and all of us - the more the merrier. And if someone brought her a caramel sundae, you were her favorite.
In addition to George and Rulon, Charlotte was preceded in death by her parents; sisters Pat Polillo of Foster City, Calif., and Emma Moon of Tenino, Wash.; and brothers Robert "Bob" Baker of Lewiston and Bruce Baker of Anchorage, Alaska.
She is survived by children John White and his wife Allison, Shanon Jones and her husband Ray, George White and his wife Lisa Donahue-White, Joe White and his wife Michelle, and Mary Uhling and her husband Mike. She has 13 grandchildren: Eric Sprenger, Lane White, Lake White, Luke White, Kirsten White, Joshua White, Nathan Jones, Rachel Jones, Jenny Uhling, Jackie Uhling, Jessica Uhling, Caidan White and Benson White.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated for Charlotte at 10:30 a.m. Monday at All Saints Catholic Church in Lewiston. Lunch will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Idaho Foodbank or the Salvation Army.
Service Information
- Date & Time
- Monday, July 24, 10:30 AM
- Location
-
All Saints Catholic Church
3330 14th Street
Lewiston, ID 83501
Get Directions - Additional Details
- Burial will follow at Lewis-Clark Memorial Gardens
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