Mostly Cloudy, 61° F
(Dec. 8, 1923 - Jan. 14, 2012)
Charlotte May (“Connie”) Lewis of Lovell died at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012 following a fall at the home of her daughter. She was 88.
Charlotte was born Dec. 8, 1923 in Martins Ferry, Ohio, to Paul Leo and Lillian May Schucht Conaway.
Charlotte graduated from Martins Ferry High School in 1941. She married 2nd Lieutenant Charles Christopher Lewis, a Marine Corps pilot, in New Castle, Pa., on May 14, 1945. They were married exactly 62 1/2 years when he died on Nov. 14, 2007.
Charlotte worked at a variety of jobs during the course of her life. She worked as a telephone operator for Bell Telephone in New Castle, as well as in Troutman’s Department Store prior to her marriage. After marriage, she became a homemaker, raising five children before returning to the work force. She worked at W.T. Grant Department Store, and then became a bookkeeper at Thrifty Market on New Castle’s west side. Following that, she became a bookkeeper at Friendly Ice Cream store on Wilmington Road in New Castle. She was a Tupperware dealer for a brief time, and also did a brief stint as a volunteer packing dinners for Meals on Wheels in New Castle.
She was a member of the Clen-Moore United Presbyterian Church of New Castle and as her children were growing up, was active in the church choir, adult Sunday School, and helped with church activities like Youth Group, Bible School, church dinners, and the Father and Son Banquets.
Charlotte was a life member and Past Worthy Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star, (New Castle Chapter 105) and was also involved at various other times in Wimodausis, and White Shrine. She had a beautiful singing voice. As a young girl, she sang in a gospel quartet on the radio, and as an adult sang lead in a barbershop quartet, and was a charter member of the New Castle chapter of Sweet Adelines.
Following her husband’s death, Charlotte moved to Lovell in 2010 to live with her daughter.
She is survived by five children: Cheryl Grotefend of Valencia, Calif.; Coleen Lewis of Lovell; twin sons, Chris and Chad Lewis of New Castle, Pa.; and Cindy Lewis of Huntington Beach, Calif.; eight grandchildren: Charles Grotefend (Dianne) of Powell; James Grotefend of Valencia, Calif.; James Lewis (Andrea) of Louisville, Ky.; Matthew Lewis (Barbara Anne) of Mars, Pa.; Kathy Lewis, Craig Lewis, Kimberly Wheeler and Mark Lewis of New Castle, Pa.; and 12 great-grandchildren.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by three sisters: Clara Williams, Helen Lewis, and Ruth Kinnan, and one brother, Howard Conaway.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Lovell United Methodist Church at 1 p.m. with Pastor Paula Morse officiating. A graveside service will be conducted and cremains interred at Oak Park Cemetery in New Castle, Pa., at a future date. Memorial contributions in Charlotte’s name may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Haskell Funeral Home in Lovell is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.haskellfuneralhome.com.
