116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Charlene Anderson
CHARLENE KAY (RITZE) ANDERSON
Fort Dodge
Charlene Kay (Ritze) Anderson was born on Feb. 26, 1947, and on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, lost her battle with ovarian cancer at the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home in Fort Dodge.
A service honoring Charlene's life will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, at the Gunderson Funeral Chapel in Fort Dodge, with the Rev. Jim Barnett officiating. Interment will be in North Lawn Cemetery. The visitation will be Sunday, Nov. 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Gunderson Funeral Home & Cremation Services.
Charlene Kay Ritze was the daughter of Charles and Betty (Pratt) Ritze, and was born in Lafayette, Iowa. She lived at Lafayette and graduated as valedictorian of the Center Point Consolidated High School class of 1965. She then completed the commerce accounting curriculum at Cedar Rapids Business College. On Nov. 3, 1979, Charlene and Carl J. Anderson were married at the Little Brown Church. To this union were born two loving daughters, Carlelene Jean Flores-Anderson (Domingo Flores Cruz) and Christina Jeanette Marine (Brandon).
Besides working 40+ hours per week at Holiday Inn, Bock Bros. Welding Supply Co. and Iowa Central Community College, all in Fort Dodge, and Bookkeepers Business Service Co., Steitzer Lincoln Mercury and Roosevelt Hotel, all in Cedar Rapids, in partnership with Carl, Charlene was a landlord and property renovator. She raised gardens and canned the produce, enjoyed cooking, baking, sewing, crocheting, knitting and a little quilting. She knew about plumbing, electrical wiring, working with wall board, lumber, flooring, paint, roofing, lawn mowing and minor vehicle maintenance.
Charlene is survived by her husband, Carl; two daughters, Carley and Chris; and five grandchildren, Donovan Carl Flores-Anderson, Elizabeth Lily Flores-Anderson, Hayden Izabella Marine, Keiara Ivy Flores-Anderson and Trinity Kaylene Marine; sister, Shirley Jean (Leo) Peiffer; brothers-in-law, Emerson (Lavonne) Anderson and Leonard Deal; and aunts, uncles and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her parents-in-law; and her sister-in-law, Nancy Deal.
Charlene was an active member of Riverside United Methodist Church and the Fort Dodge Area Landlords Association.
Daily Newsletters