Charlotte (Chuck) Mae Tatro, age 76 passed away at her home surrounded
by family on Thursday, February 2, 2023 after a short (but long) battle
with pancreatic cancer.
Chuck was born the second of three children on July 18, 1946 in the
Springer Hospital in Hettinger, ND to Earl and Virginia (Olson) Meisner.
Chuck attended Hettinger High School and it was during her 8th grade
year she started dating the love of her life, Harry (Skip) Tatro. They
were married on August 16th, 1964, three months after graduating high
school. From this marriage two children were born, Michael John in 1966
and Teryl Lyn in 1969. Skip and Chuck chose to raise their family in
Hettinger, which allowed their kids to form special bonds with
grandparents and other family members. Chuck worked at various jobs
including Adams County Social Services, ACS, West River Regional Medical
Center and Hettinger Radiology. In 1994 Chuck and Skip moved to Mandan,
ND where she worked at Med Center One and then APS. In 2018 they moved
to Forsyth MT to enjoy time with Teryl and Wade. Many special and
lasting friendships were made at each place she worked and lived.
Mom didn’t have typical hobbies but rather “many loves”. She loved
wandering through little gift shops searching for that unique item no
one else seemed to ever find and she usually had her favorite drink
(another love) in hand…..coffee. If you put her on a mission to find
something, whether on-line or by foot, she would find it! She even found
a riding lawn mower for Teryl and Wade! Mom was an amazing cook--her
gravy of any kind, was absolutely the best, along with fried chicken,
chicken fried steak, salmon patties, creamed corn from scratch and
potato salad, just to name a few. No matter the time of day mom always
had a hot meal ready for Dad when he came through town with a load of
sheep or cattle. And baking!!! Mom was famous for her cookies! Chocolate
chip, date filled, spritz…you name it and they were the absolute best
any one would ever eat. They were often shared with friends, family and
neighbors!
Mom also had a great love for music (particularly Elvis) and dancing.
Pansies and peonies were among her favorite flowers, however, she had to
plant petunias for Teryl because those were the only ones Teryl could
keep alive! Mom had impeccable style, her shirts and slacks were always
ironed PERFECTLY and she always had coordinating jewelry (another of her
“loves”) to match. Mom’s compassionate heart for family and friends was
frequently expressed through a card. She rarely missed an occasion and
she seemed to be very intuitive when someone needed a word of
encouragement or just a “hello” card. Mom also loved animals, with the
exception of birds. From birth there was always a cat or dog or two and
later in marriage she and Skip had two beloved Shitzues, Sasha and
Ginger. We were all greatly blessed by Mom’s giving heart and will
dearly miss her quick wit and the humor she brought to every
conversation.
Chuck is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, Skip; son Mike
(special friend Annette Hendricks) and grandson Max; daughter Teryl
(Wade Cole); two very special adopted families: Tad, Gina, Ashley Blake
(Micah), and Michael Feist; and Terry, Stacy, Hannah, and Tugger
Sandgren; sisters-in-law Joan Engraf, Bonnie Pinney, Jackie Blade, Neva
Meisner; brother-in-law Rick Tatro; numerous nieces and nephews, her
very special and best friend of over 70 years, Char Nolan; Godson Kevin
Jorgensen; and her little canine companion, Maggie.
Chuck was preceded in death by her parents, sister Myrna Gravning;
brother Earl (Lynn) Meisner; mother-in-law and father in-law Mardy and
Harry Tatro; nephews Brad Engraf, Greg Gravning, Brian
Gravning, and Little Jimmie Zimmerman; brothers-in-law Terry Gravning,
Rick Pinney and many beloved pets including their special dogs Sasha and
Ginger.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating to a local animal shelter or
animal rescue in her memory or a charity of your choice.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at
Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home in Forsyth at 11:00 AM. Burial will be
held in Hettinger, North Dakota at a later date. Stevenson and Sons
Funeral Home have been entrusted with arrangements. To leave condolences
for the family, visit our website at www.stevensonandsons.com.