CharlLee Owens

CharlLee Owens was born June 3, 1927, at Ottawa, Kansas, to Gladys (Howell) and Charles Owens. She passed from this earthly life March 31, 2015, at the Fowler Residential Care Center, Fowler, Kansas.

She was raised in Meade, Minneola, and Fowler, Kansas, by her mother and stepfather, Alvin Hinson. She attended Fowler schools and two years at a rural school south of Fowler.

She married George Schmisseur in 1943. On son was born to this union, Charles Alvin. In 1955, she married Leon Heatley and they were together fifty-one years until his death in April, 2006. She worked most of her adult life as a waitress and other food service jobs. She was an excellent cook and took pride in her talents. Each year Leon raised a big garden and along with their fruit trees, CharlLee canned dozens of jars of food for later use.

During her lifetime she lived in many places but primarily in Meade and Albuquerque, New Mexico. She served as a volunteer at the Veteran’s hospital in Albuquerque. Accepted the Lord as her savior and was baptized into the First Christian Church in Meade in 1961. Due to an increasing profound loss of hearing, she no longer attended regular church services, but she faithfully watched “church services” on captioned TV. She greatly enjoyed going to the Beam Senior Center through later years. Due to failing health, she entered the Fowler Residential Care Center facility. During the years before she moved to the nursing home, she was fortunate to have caring neighbors and friends who helped her as needed, which was often.

She is survived by a sister, Dorothy Frederick of Woodward, Oklahoma. Five nephews, Mike and Ronnie Frederick of Woodward, Terry Frederick of Onage, Kansas, Gary Butler of Lindsborg, Kansas, and Keith Frederick of Shawnee, Oklahoma. Four nieces, Patricia (Frederick) Clark, Gayla (Frederick) Bartow of Waukomis, Oklahoma, Sheila (Butler) Albritton of Benton, Kansas, Kathryn (Frederick) Foster of Amarillo, Texas. A brother-in-law, Norman Butler of Benton, Kansas. Also by Leon’s family, sister-in-law Ruth Frejo, nephew, Mike and Michele, niece Teresa and Floyd McKinley, all of the Oklahoma City area.

She was preceded in death by her husband , Leon Heatley; her parents; a sister, Maggie Ellen Butler; and a six year old brother, Robb Bessac.

Many thanks go to her friends/helpers who assisted her during her waning years; Margaret Friesen, Elsie and Bill Schaben, Danny and Jeanette Friesen, and to others who showed kindness and assistance to her through the years.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 4, 2015, at Fidler-Orme-Bachman Mortuary, Meade. Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Friday and from 9:00 a.m. until service time Saturday at the funeral home. Interment will follow in the Fowler Cemetery, Fowler.

The family would welcome memorials to the Beam Senior Center or the International Hearing Dog, Inc. in care of the funeral home.

Personal condolences may be given to the family at www.fidlerormebachmanmortuary.com