Obituary of Charline J Dittman

Obituary for Charline J. Dittman

 

Charline Jordal Dittman was born December 2, 1919 at Mt. Vernon, South Dakota. She

passed away on March 23, 2019 at the age of 99 years, 3 months and 21 days. She was

residing at St. Therese Nursing Home in New Hope, MN, at the time of her death where she

was receiving care after breaking her hip on December 11, 2018.

Charline grew up on a farm in Davison County, SD. She attended a rural school for

eight years and graduated from Mt. Vernon High School in 1938. After graduation she enrolled

in a one-year course at Aberdeen Normal which enabled her to teach in rural schools. She

followed three older sisters to Hyde County, SD, where she began her teaching career. She

met her future husband, Floyd Dittman, during this time. They were married April 16, 1944. To

this union three daughters were born, Carol (1945) and twins, Diane and Donna (1949).

Since Floyd was serving in the Army in WWII in the Panama Canal Zone, he had to

return to his base in Panama after the wedding. Charline and her twin sister, Charlotte,

decided to move to Washougal, WA, with their Uncle Art Luglan. They worked in the ship yards

on the graveyard shift as clerk/typists. Shortly after arriving in Washington she received word

that Floyd was returning to the United States. She took the train to join him in Georgia, but

within six weeks he was transferred to the ETO, so she returned to her parent’s home in SD.

When Floyd returned from the service in 1945, they briefly lived in Mitchell, SD, and then moved

to William Hamilton Township near Highmore, SD, in Hyde County. They lived there until

Floyd’s sudden death in November 1960.

In 1962 Charline and the girls moved to Aberdeen, SD, so she could complete her four

year teaching degree. After graduating she taught in Aberdeen city schools until 1967 when

she moved to Madison, SD, where she again taught in the elementary school and eventually

became the school librarian. She retired in 1983 after twenty-five years in the teaching

profession.

She spent her first winter of retirement in Mesa, AZ, with her sisters Jeverna and Iola. In

the spring of 1984 she returned to SD with a move to Rapid City. She enjoyed living there for

four years. In 1988 she moved to Sioux Falls, SD, to be closer to her daughters. She enjoyed

volunteering at the hospital and continued her volunteer services when she moved to Viroqua,

WI, in 1997. She moved to Minneapolis in September 2015 to a senior apartment and then a

year ago, she moved to assisted living.

Charline enjoyed playing cards and other games all her life. In the 1980’s she

hand-sewed quilts for each of her six grandchildren. In her later years it was a “must” for her to walk

an hour every morning. Another “must” she started in 1964, was reading her Bible every day.

She will always be remembered for her delicious cooking, especially apple pie and chicken

noodle soup.

She is survived by her twin daughters, Diane (Roger) Hanson of Viroqua, WI, and Donna

(Ronald) Peterson of Plymouth, MN, and son-in-law, Vernell (Mick) Smith of Sioux Falls, SD; six

grandchildren, Shelley (Tim) Engel of Chamberlain, SD, Jeffrey (Holley) Smith of Wahoo, NE,

Robbie (Jami) Peterson of Brooklyn Park, MN, Brynn (Jeff) Yu of Andover, MN, Nathan (Greta)

Hanson of St. Louis Park, MN and Timothy Peterson of Plymouth, MN; eight

great-grandchildren, Austin London, Cooper and Lillian Peterson, Keagan and Logan Yu, Matilda,

Beatrice and Otis Hanson and many nieces, nephews and friends. She often said she was the

last in her generation.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Alfred and Ida Jordan, husband Floyd,

daughter Carol Jeanne Smith, granddaughter Sara Jeanne Smith and siblings Arlene (Erwin)

Beitelspacher, Iola (Gerald) Zangle, Arthur Jordal, Jeverna (Alfred) Stumbaugh and her twin

Charlotte (Irving) Buchheim.

Charline was cremated and she will be buried in Highmore, SD, beside her husband.

There will be a graveside service at 4 pm on May 25, 2019.