Charles L. Foote

1920 - 2014

Foote, Charles

Charles L. Foote, age 93, of Omro, died peacefully at home on Monday, April 14, 2014. He was born June 15, 1920, the son of Charles and Marjorie (Searles) Foote. Charles (Chuck to many of his friends) often commented that he was 7 years old when Lindbergh flew the Atlantic, and lived to see the Concorde land in Oshkosh. He witnessed profound changes over his 93 years- rural electrification, the telephone, television, and indoor plumbing were all new innovations during his lifetime. He saw the tractor replace the draft horse and the combine take over the work of the steam powered thresher. Born on a dairy farm near Omro, Charles worked with his parents, brother, and sister through the depression years, and eventually took over the family farm. He married his wife, Joan, in 1959 and had two children, Jennifer and Jonathan. Charles retired from farming in 1978 and then worked for several more years at a local feed mill. He was keenly interested in the arts, and after retiring from the feed mill, spent several more years making and selling folk art carvings.

Chuck was a tireless volunteer for the Omro Kiwanis Club, the Omro Community Center, and the ARC and Cerebral Palsy of Northeastern Wisconsin (along with many other causes). He recently purchased and restored The North Rushford Church, a local historic landmark. He was a very active member of the Prairie Lakes Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

Chuck is survived by two children, Jennifer Frank and Jonathan Foote; 7 grandchildren and an extended family which includes cousins and countless friends and neighbors, whom he also regarded as family. He was preceded in death by his mother, Marjorie Searles Foote and father, Charles Foote, Sr.; brother, Lloyd Foote; sister, Marian (Foote) Bush, and wife, Joan (Beaulieu) Foote.

A community Memorial Service for Charles will be held at The Gathering Space (the former North Rushford Church) during the month of June, 2014.