Charlotte Esther Wilcher

Charlotte Esther Anderson was born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota on November 16, 1925 to Virgil and Maggie Anderson. She passed away peacefully on December 17, 2015 at St. John of God Retirement and Care Center in Los Angeles, California from Alzheimer's dementia; at 90 years old.

After the first four children were born in Fergus Falls, the Anderson family moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1928. Charlotte grew up in Sioux Falls, attending Beadle and Hawthorne elementary schools and Washington High School.

On May 26, 1943, Charlotte married Eugene Wilcher, a United States Army staff sergeant from Dallas, Texas. They had two daughters, Diane and Patricia. Their union was dissolved on April 11, 1953.

In the 1940's, Charlotte was the first person of color employed as a cashier at a five star restaurant in Sioux Falls. During WWII, Charlotte was a defense plant welding trainee and Army air base custodian in Sioux Falls. She moved to Texas and California with her husband and worked in the defense plant and an athletic club in Pasadena, California where she stayed with her aunt, Ella Sutton, while Eugene was overseas. Their first child, Diane was born in Los Angeles in 1947. In 1948, Charlotte moved back to Sioux Falls where second daughter, Patricia was born. During the 1950's, she worked as a waitress and dress shop matron in Sioux Falls. In August, 1961, she moved her family from Sioux Falls to Los Angeles and worked in a dress shop in Westwood. In 1966, she became a United States postal employee. She retired from the U.S. Postal Service in November, 1989 after more than 23 years of service.

In her working and retired years, Charlotte enjoyed playing the California lottery, Caribbean Island cruises, and traveling to various places such as Hawaii and Hong Kong as well as South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan and Utah for family gatherings. She loved watching old classic movies and was a faithful viewer of the Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy game shows. Charlotte also participated in acting classes and bus travels to Las Vegas and other destinations with her senior citizens group. She enjoyed auditioning for television commercials as a result of her acting classes and always thought she could become a movie star.

Charlotte was an active member of St. James' Episcopal Church, Wilshire where she served as an usher for many years. She also spent time helping with St. James' food closet, which distributed food and clothing to the destitute and homeless families in the community.

In 2006, Charlotte was officially diagnosed with dementia (Alzheimer's) and began her long journey of silence. As the Alzheimer's progressed, she no longer recognized family members from photos that she always enjoyed looking at. She would comment that she didn't know who they were, but she liked the pictures. However, listening to music continued to bring her pleasure throughout her last days.

Charlotte is preceded in death by her oldest daughter, Diane, grandchildren Charles, Jr. and Danielle, parents Virgil and Maggie, sisters, Mae Frances and Ruth, and brothers Glenn Thomas, Kenneth, and Wallace.

She is survived in loving memory by her daughter, Patricia, granddaughters Valerie and Brooke, great-grandchildren Tiffany, Clayton, Erica, and Mercedes, great, great-grandsons Rene, Jr. and Rylan, brother Virgil and sister Alma Jayne, and a host of nieces and nephews.