Charlene Mary (Skripsky) Engstrom

Charlene Mary (Skripsky) Engstrom

Davenport

Charlene Mary (Skripsky) Engstrom, 76, of Davenport, Iowa, passed away Thursday, July 6, 2023, at Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House with her beloved family by her side. Visitation will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 9, at Weerts Funeral Home. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Monday, July 10, at Zion Lutheran Church, Davenport, with a visitation starting at 10 a.m. Memorials in Charlene’s name may be made to Zion Lutheran Church. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.weertsfh.com.

Charlene was born May 3, 1947, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Lumir and Wilma Skripsky. She was raised in a close-knit community of Czech immigrants in eastern Iowa.

Throughout her life, Charlene shared the gift of her lovely soprano voice as a soloist and member of multiple choirs, including the Augustana Choir, Bel Canto Chorale (Burlington, Iowa), and church choirs in Wisconsin and Iowa. Char graduated from Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.) in 1969 with a degree in music education, and she shared her love of music as a teacher and choral director at public schools and Lutheran churches across Wisconsin and Iowa. Char enjoyed performing in musical theater productions, most recently at Quad City Music Guild.

Charlene met her husband, Carl Engstrom, while they were students at Cedar Rapids Washington High School. They were united in marriage on Aug. 9, 1969, in Cedar Rapids, and moved for Carl's seminary education at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Together, they served churches in Waukesha, Wis.; Green Bay, Wis.; Janesville, Wis., and Burlington, Iowa.

Char's unconditional love for others was always at the forefront of her church, family and community life. She quickly formed friendships and shared warmth, hugs and laughter with everyone she met. Char took her greatest joy in spending time with Carl, their children and spouses, her five grandchildren, and many cousins, nieces, nephews and lifelong friends.

Charlene is survived by her husband, Carl; children, Jenny (Kirby) Winn, Davenport, Iowa; Matthew (Molly) Engstrom, Bettendorf, Iowa; and Joseph Engstrom (Christine Arslanian), Dandridge, Tenn.; and grandchildren, Anna, Grace, Carter, Emily and Sarah.

Charlene was preceded in death by her parents, Wilma and Lumir; and daughter, Kirsten.