Charlotte Bertha Zupke

Charlotte “Char” B. Zupke, 83, formerly of St. Joseph, went to meet her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at Hospice of Butler and Warren Counties, in Middletown, OH. A Celebration of Life Service will be held 11 A.M., Monday, November 18, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 619 Market St. St. Joseph with Reverend Thomas Batsky officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph. Friends may visit Sunday, November 17, 2013 from 2:00 P.M. until 5:00 P.M. at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd. St. Joseph. Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church. Those wishing to share a memory of Charlotte may do so online at www.starks-menchinger.com. Charlotte was born July 23, 1930 in St. Joseph to Gustav & Anna (Raschke) Mutz. She was a graduate of St. Joseph High School in 1948. On January 9, 1949, she married Clarence Zupke in St. Joseph. In high school, while helping her single mother, she worked as a soda jerk at Gillespie’s Drug Store where she was known for over serving her friends ice cream. Charlotte worked as an assistant manager at Rohrings Men’s Clothing store located in the Fairplain Plaza in Benton Harbor for many years. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Joseph where she taught Sunday school for 22 years. Her family was important to her, and she enjoyed spoiling her grandchildren by frequently sending grandma boxes to them and making them costumes for various holidays and events. In her spare time she enjoyed many types of crafts including sewing, cake decorating, sugar molding, ceramics, flower arranging, making jewelry boxes out of goose eggs, baskets, flip flop maps and Christmas tree skirts. With the many items she made using her craft skills, Charlotte and her husband participated in numerous craft shows around the area. She found great joy in helping other people. She lived life fully with love and kindness in her heart, and she will be missed dearly by her family and all who knew her. She is survived by her children; Craig (Cheryl) Zupke of Lebanon, OH, and Cheryl (David Michael) Walker of Granville, OH; six grandchildren Michael Zupke, Grace Zupke, Anna (Mike) Walker-Morris, Laura Walker, David Walker, and Matthew Walker and sister-in-law Shirley Culverhouse of Hilliard, OH. She was preceded in death by her father Gustav in 1931, mother Anna in 1957, her loving husband Clarence on October 20, 1996, and a brother George at birth in 1923.