Charlotte Irene
(Helscher) Newton, 97,
was born to
was born to
Sylvia Melvina (Zigler) Helscher and Thomas Adolph Helscher on
October 18, 1917 on a farm near Paradise, Kansas.
She passed away on February 21, 2015
at
Warrensburg, MO.
October 18, 1917 on a farm near Paradise, Kansas.
She passed away on February 21, 2015
at
Warrensburg, MO.
Charlotte attended school in
Paradise where she graduated from high school. She attended Fort Hays State
University for a short time. She married Loyal Lee (Jim) Newton on August 12,
1939. Charlotte was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years in 1993. She
was also preceded in death by her parents, her brother Bryan Helscher, and his
wife Louise. She is survived by her children Dr. Thomas A. Newton and 
his
wife Jane of Tahlequah, OK, Crystal A. Green of Warrensburg, MO, and Michael E.
Newton and his wife Diana of Wichita, KS. Also surviving are grandchildren
Shelly Parr, Jim Green, Brooks Newton, Julie Newton, and Sarah Brown as well as
six great-grandchildren: Tyler Parr, Haley Parr, Jackson Green, Noah Green,
Griffin Newton, and Thurston Brown.
his
wife Jane of Tahlequah, OK, Crystal A. Green of Warrensburg, MO, and Michael E.
Newton and his wife Diana of Wichita, KS. Also surviving are grandchildren
Shelly Parr, Jim Green, Brooks Newton, Julie Newton, and Sarah Brown as well as
six great-grandchildren: Tyler Parr, Haley Parr, Jackson Green, Noah Green,
Griffin Newton, and Thurston Brown.
Charlotte and her family
lived in several Kansas communities during the years that Jim was employed as an
oilfield pumper. They spent a number of years in Russell, Natoma,
Wellington, Stafford, Preston, Pratt before coming back to Russell
for retirement. During those years as a full-time homemaker, Charlotte kept the
family fed with her wholesome down-home recipes as well as with goodly portions
of moral instruction, creative spirit, and self-deprecating humor.
Wellington, Stafford, Preston, Pratt before coming back to Russell
for retirement. During those years as a full-time homemaker, Charlotte kept the
family fed with her wholesome down-home recipes as well as with goodly portions
of moral instruction, creative spirit, and self-deprecating humor.
Charlotte taught her children
that honesty and compassion for all creatures are essential human qualities.
She also modeled her passion for the creative
spirit through her own works of art and her enduring memory of
hundreds of songs and poems from her school years. Through the years and into
her 90s, she would break into a poem or song when the topic of a conversation
reminded of a particular lyric. As a young woman, Charlotte created beautiful
works of sculpture, songs, and poetry. She and Jim kept the family in stitches
with their humor and on-going word play. Often the humor was based on double
entendre, misunderstandings that were quickly exploited for their bizarre 
implications, and Charlotte’s ability to laugh at her own foibles.
Charlotte continued the art of story-telling that her parents were known for.
She told hundreds of stories centering on humorous anecdotes or unique character
traits of her relatives or others from the small Kansas towns along the Lincoln
Branch of the Union Pacific: Lincoln Center, Lucas, Luray, Waldo, Paradise,
Natoma, and Plainville. She told these stories so well and so often
that the characters and the anecdotes have become part of
the family heritage.
spirit through her own works of art and her enduring memory of
hundreds of songs and poems from her school years. Through the years and into
her 90s, she would break into a poem or song when the topic of a conversation
reminded of a particular lyric. As a young woman, Charlotte created beautiful
works of sculpture, songs, and poetry. She and Jim kept the family in stitches
with their humor and on-going word play. Often the humor was based on double
entendre, misunderstandings that were quickly exploited for their bizarre implications, and Charlotte’s ability to laugh at her own foibles.
Charlotte continued the art of story-telling that her parents were known for.
She told hundreds of stories centering on humorous anecdotes or unique character
traits of her relatives or others from the small Kansas towns along the Lincoln
Branch of the Union Pacific: Lincoln Center, Lucas, Luray, Waldo, Paradise,
Natoma, and Plainville. She told these stories so well and so often that the characters and the anecdotes have become part of
the family heritage.
Charlotte’s children will
remember her fiercely independent spirit, her unwillingness to accept injustice,
her disregard for superstitious beliefs, her love of art, language,
story-telling, and her sense of humor.
A graveside service to
celebrate Charlotte's life
will be held at 11:30 A.M. on Friday, February 27,
2015,
at the Natoma City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.
on
Thursday, February 26, 2015,
at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler
Mortuary of Russell
.
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