Charlotte Lilliedahl passed away peacefully with her children, Erik Lilliedahl and Chrissy Rosthenhausler, by her side in the early hours on 5/12/2025. She is survived by her two children, grandchildren, Gabriel, Erik, and Ashley, and siblings, Cathy Widmer Wilterdink, Fred Widmer, and Phil Widmer. Charlotte was born to loving parents, Ruben and Anabelle Widmer, on June 21, 1943, in Iowa City, Iowa. With a short stint on the East Coast during WWII, the young family settled in Windfield, Iowa, where she was raised in the idyllic Midwest town with her younger sister and two younger brothers. Charlotte attended the University of Dubuque, where she met a big city guy, John Lilliedahl, and fell in love. After a quick jump to the University of Wisconsin, she graduated from the University of Iowa in 1965 with a Psychology degree. John and Charlotte were married and moved to the suburbs of Chicago, where they settled into the life of newlyweds. With the opportunity to make a new start running a new grocery store, they made the unexpected move to the Ozark Mountains of Southern Missouri near Branson on the shores of Table Rock Lake. With the change of scenery and new business, they started a family with the birth of their son Erik and then daughter Chrissy. Later, Charlotte and John, with kids in tow, moved to Springfield, MO., in the mid-1970s, where Charlotte found a new career direction: social work. She specialized in foster kids and adoption, placing many children with loving families. After years in social work in Missouri, the family moved to southwest Colorado, where she landed a job with La Plata County Social Services. She started working on child abuse and neglect cases, later pivoting into creating a play therapy program to help those children and families work through trauma. After years of hard work and study, she achieved one of her proudest accomplishments at 52 years of age, a master's degree in counseling from Adams State College. Armed with years of experience and her master's degree, Charlotte and John moved to Denver, where she started work at the Tennyson Center for Children, training and counseling. Her work there is still felt to this day. John preceded Charlotte in death after a battle with cancer, prompting her final move to Green Valley, Arizona, in 2006 to be closer to family. Once in Arizona, Charlotte found a new community in the Green Valley Unity Church where she grew close friendships, volunteered her time, and felt at home. She also started work for the state, writing and training the CORE curriculum for CPS case managers and child development. As well as the new case and new parent aides. After seven years and countless training sessions, Charlotte retired at 70 to settle into traveling, hobbies, and watching her beloved grandchildren play baseball and softball. She loved traveling around the western United States and back to Durango, CO., during the hot summer months. She enjoyed staying with friends and family along the way. Charlotte continued her attendance and volunteer work at Unity in the Valley church, where she found comfort and community. Her most enjoyable hobbies included painting and later line dancing. She would say both were works in progress. She loved her family, friends, nature, and her morning walks. She will be missed by everyone who knew her and loved her.

Services will be held on July 29th, 2025, 10:00 am, Unity in the Valley, 17630 S Camino De Las Quintas, Sahuarita, AZ 85629

Reception to follow at church.

1:00 pm, join us for internment at Green Valley Mortuary, 18751 S La Canada Drive, Sahuarita, AZ 85629

If you would like to donate to honor Charlotte's memory, please consider the following organizations her family chose.

Tennyson Center for Children at https://www.tennysoncenter.org/donate/

Casa de los Ninos at https://casadelosninos.org/how-to-help/donate/