Lottie Cargnel, who would be 97 years old in two weeks, entered her well deserved heavenly reward early Friday morning, July 23, 2010, in Hennis Care Centre at Dover.
Born at West Wheeling, O., on the banks of the Ohio River on a hot summer day (Aug. 14, 1913), she was a daughter of the late William and Margaret Hanna Atkison Gladstone.
As a young girl, she relocated to the Tuscarawas Valley with her family, and would spend the rest of her life making life better for her family, friends, and our community.
Born with a gift of making perfect pies, she single-handedly doubled pie sales in the dining room of the former Reeves Hotel of New Philadelphia when she went to work there in the 1930s, at a time when coming by spare change for a piece of pie was an accomplishment of its own.
During World War II, she joined other ladies in keeping American industry alive while the war effort drew men from their manufacturing jobs. Lottie operated a press at the former Dover Sad Iron Manufacturing Company.
Later, she joined the former F.W. Woolworths retail store before retiring from the former W.T. Grant store nearly 35 years ago.
Although her long life was filled with vast work experience, she never left claim to her role as the caretaker of her family. She married Geno Cargnel on Jan. 24, 1931, and together the two would observe nearly 69 years of marriage.
Lottie was known for her cooking and baking projects that would feed her family, their friends, and sometimes an entire neighborhood. Even the hobos who rode into town knew where to find the pie lady for a full belly and a taste of small town hospitality.
Stories of Lottie moving the whole family from one house to another, all while her husband was away at work for one day, are legendary, as was her work ethic.
She leaves behind an extensive family that includes four sons, Gene W. (wife, Janet) Cargnel of Dover, Richard V. (wife, Merrill) Cargnel and Jerry F. (wife, Sherry) Cargnel, both of New Philadelphia, and Jack L. Cargnel of Dover.
Thirteen grandchildren, many of whom learned to sing hymns at the encouragement of their grandmother, 30 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild also survive.
In addition to her parents and husband, Lottie is preceded in death by three sisters, Mary Cheslock, Margaret "Peg" Kirkendall and Lydia Colombo, and three brothers, Adam, Web and Tom Gladstone.
Lottie's family will receive friends, and share pie with guests Monday afternoon, July 26, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory at New Philadelphia.
The Rev. Richard G. Rose of Mrs. Cargnel's Dover Alliance Church will officiate her funeral service Tuesday morning at 10:30 in the funeral home's chapel.
Burial will follow in New Philadelphia's East Avenue Cemetery.
A luncheon reception will follow in the Geib Family Center, adjacent to the funeral home.
Those unable to attend are invited to share memories and condolences with her family by visiting the funeral home's Web site.
Linn-Hert-Geib
(330) 343-5506
www.geibcares.comPublished by The Times Reporter on Jul. 25, 2010.