Charlie Leirmoe-Kaiser (1960-2020)

LEIRMOE, LEPERT, KAISER

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 6/1/2020 at 13:34:40

Charlie Leirmoe-Kaiser, 59 of Dubuque Iowa, a woman of great strength, love and compassion, passed away peacefully on May 29th at Methodist Hospital, Rochester MN.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, June 4th, 2020 at Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Road where a funeral service will be held at 7:00 p.m. with Rev. Matt Agee officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Linwood Cemetery. For those unable to attend, the funeral service will be live streamed on the funeral home Facebook page at 7:00 p.m. Thursday. For those attending the visitation, we remind you to practice the social distancing guidelines that have been set for us.

She was born on August 21st, 1960 daughter of Bonnie (LePert) and Curt Leirmoe in Dubuque Iowa. She married Ken Kaiser on May 2nd, 1997 at Eagle Point Park in Dubuque.

Charlie graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1978. Right out of high school, she began working for the Iowa Conservation (YACC), which led her to her true passion of working in Yellowstone Park where she made a lifelong ‘sistahood’ of friends.
Charlie worked at FDL for many years before she began her job working for the city of Dubuque. Charlie could be seen driving her gator around the Plaza, but it wasn’t a job to her, it was what she enjoyed, she had the greenest thumb you’d ever see. She cared deeply for those she grew to know in the plaza, she took care of each and every one of them, especially the dogs, as they knew in her gator was a box of treats just waiting for them.
She never knew a stranger, every person she met was a friend, they were family. She always greeted you with a smile and an extended hand, no matter who you were.

Charlie loved spending time with family and friends and especially her dogs and cat. She was a jokester, a caregiver, the boss. From the firework gatherings at her house, a call on your birthday to sing to you or dropping off flowers from her garden to those she felt needed to be uplifted. Outdoors/gardening was her passion and she loved sharing them with everyone. She always looked out for that stray cat or dog and made sure she got them all to safety and home.

All those who knew or met Charlie learned from her, as she said ‘give that smile or eye contact to that stranger, it could be lifesaving or life changing, what that person or you need’.

Charlie fought breast cancer since May 2001, but she never allowed it to define who she was. She lived each day as she wanted, on her terms, to the fullest and watched every sunrise and sunset.

She was greeted in Heaven by her son Gaylin Leirmoe , her two grandsons Jack and Gage Leirmoe, her parents, her sister Sandy Leirmoe, Uncle Frankie LePert, her grandparents, her mother and father in law Mert and Jane Kaiser, nephew JT Kaiser and many cousins, aunts and uncles.

Those left to carry on her Legacy are her husband Ken Kaiser, brother Gary (Patricia) Leirmoe of Elk River MN, Lisa (Rick) Maiers of Dubuque, her step daughter Amanda Kaiser of Dubuque and many nieces, nephews, cousins and family. She was an amazing wife, mother, ‘Ma, sister, Graunt, Aunt, friend and will be missed by so many.

The family would like to thank Dr. Herman, Toni, Sandy, Linda and all the girls at Great River Center Oncology. You all were her friends and she deeply cared for each of you. Thank you for taking such good care of her over the years.

Charlie – thanks for being that bright light, that guide in this life, we will continue your legacy on earth by a kind gesture to all we meet. You often said you were such a lucky person to have so many who cared for you, but truth is, we are the lucky ones to have had you in our life. Peace be with you sista, our love will go on forever and forever more – shine bright!