Charpentier, Lillian Kerkmann (1909-2007)

KERKMANN, KAUFMANN

Posted By: James M. Richmond (email)
Date: 3/26/2007 at 14:26:57

LILLIAN KERKMANN CHARPENTIER, 97, PASSES AWAY

Lillian Kerkmann Charpentier, 97, of Pasadena, CA, passed away on Wednesday, March 21, 2007.

Lillian Elizabeth Wilhelmena Kerkmann was born near Dewey, Iowa on November 27, 1909, and grew up on a farm 2 miles northwest of Massena. She graduated in May 1927 from Massena High School, and in June of 1937 from the Capital City Commercial College (Stenography) of Des Moines.

The 1927 Class of Massena High was 27 in number and included 21 girls. At a class reunion in 2000 living members of the class were: Blanch (Pace) Hall, Doris (Baker) Collman, Pearl (Shields), Veronica, (Anstey) O'Neill, Mildred (Yarger) Follmann, Velma (DeVore) Hosfelt, Pearle (Helvie) Spieker, and Mildred Follmann.

Lillian lived in St. Louis, MO and in Cleveland, OH. In the mid 1940’s Lillian traveled to Los Angeles, CA and worked there, retiring in about 1974 from Southern California Edison, as a private executive secretary. She was known throughout her life for her cheerful personality, intelligence, engaging smile, and natural beauty. Her favorite exercises were swimming and tennis, until her late years. Her handwriting was an example of perfection until her passing. Lillian always kept in touch with her family and friends.

Lillian’s funeral services will be (or was) at 11:00 AM Friday March 30, 2007 at the Forest Lawn Mortuary, in Hollywood Hills, CA.

Lillian was united in marriage to Douglas Charpentier June 7, 1997 in the Episcopal Church in Sierra Madre, CA. Douglas’ son Gary has been a great help to Lillian, alongside family, since his father’s death July 18, 2005.

Lillian’s parents were Anna Margaret Von Bergen and Frederick David Kerkmann. Her mother married, in 1909, Frederick Kerkmann, a widower of Jennie M. Warnaca. There were eight children of this previous marriage, including four that lived to adulthood, all now deceased. They were: Pauline L. (Kerkmann) Neuman, Frederick William Kerkmann, Minnie M. (Kerkmann) Bernhardt, and Walter Henry Kerkmann.

Lillian’s mother was a widow of Otto George Kaufmann. He passed on in 1908 and was father to Elsie (Kaufmann) Schmidt, Edwin Kaufmann, Alfred Henry Kaufmann, Carl George Kaufmann, and Herman Ernest Kaufmann, all deceased.

As each of Lillian’s parents had children by a previous marriage, there was a large family to greet Lillian and her sister Ruth (Kerkmann) McCorkle as they came into this world. Her sister, Ruth, passed away in 1991, leaving Lillian as the last of her family’s generation to depart this world.

Lillian is survived by five nieces Jeannette (McCorkle) Richmond and husband James of Naperville, IL, Karen (Kaufmann) Mondragon and husband Tom, of Westminster, CA, Delores (Kaufmann) Fleming and husband Carroll of Omaha, NE., Arline (Kerkmann) Weichman of Massena, IA and Anna Marie (Kaufmann) Delacroix of Seattle, WA, by two nephews Norman Kaufmann of NV, and Harold Kaufman and wife Nancy of Houston, TX, by her cousin Evelyn (Hogg) Matter of Sun City, AZ, and many other family members and friends.

Lillian was preceded in death by her parents Anna Margaret Von Bergen and Frederick David Kerkmann, by her husbands Wayne H. Jackson, Frank M (Johnny) Hines (1972), Col. Robert Watson (1984), and Douglas E. Charpentier (2005), the later three of California, by her full sister Ruth (Kerkmann) McCorkle and husband Miles, by her step-sister Elsie (Kaufmann) Schmidt and husband Louie, by her four Kaufmann step-brothers, niece Carol Kaufmann, and nephew Delmont Kaufmann of Nevada, and by her eight Kerkmann step-brothers and sisters.