Charlotte Larsen

Charlotte Marie “Char” Larsen, age 84, of Neenah, WI passed away on May 7th, 2026 after a long battle with dementia.

Born on January 19th, 1942, to Perry and Bertha (Kirchner) Thiessen in Nampa, ID, Char was known for her smiles, laughter, sharp wit, and love of photography and crafting.  Char was a homemaker who filled the house with many projects, including her wonderful Santas, lots of music, and, at the holidays, her famous Christmas rosette cookies. 

Char took great pride in her volunteer work, including Ladies Aid at Trinity Lutheran in Menasha, many years of PTO fundraising for Tullar Elementary, and election assistance for the Town of Neenah.  After Dan’s retirement, you could usually find them reading the newspaper and watching the eagles while enjoying their morning coffee “at the point” (Kimberly Point in Neenah). 

She will be missed by her loving husband of 59 years, Dan, and their children: Tracey (Dave) Gauthier, Jen (Paul Smith) Brotherton, her forever son-in-law Scott (Dan Zehr) Brotherton-Zehr, and Shaun Larsen.  She will also be remembered with love by her grandchildren, whom she took immense pride in: Tessa Ducat (partner Alex Wold), Noah (Chloe) Brotherton, Tyler Ducat, Asher Brotherton (special friend Erika Fonggrasin), and Nate Brotherton. Also surviving Char is her sister, Sunday (Don) Kislewski, as well as brothers- and sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Perry and Bertha Thiessen; her in-laws, Minerva (Ernie) Merow and “Grandma” Grace Vogel, and numerous aunts and uncles.

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held on Thursday, May 21st, 2026, at Westgor Funeral Home, 205 Doty Ave, Neenah, WI.  Visitation will be held from 10 to 11:30am, followed by a short service. To keep things as bright as Char’s personality, the family invites you to wear blue—her favorite color—to her memorial service.

Char always said, “Buy me flowers when I’m alive so I can enjoy them; I won’t see them when I’m dead.” To honor her wishes (and sass), the family requests you purchase flowers for a living loved one, friend, or stranger and make someone’s day. If preferred, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The family offers a heartfelt thank-you to the wonderful team at Country Villa in Little Chute who supported Mom (and us) —Shanta, we cannot thank you and your amazing staff enough; listing everyone who showed such compassion and patience would take an entire chapter. We are also deeply grateful to Mom’s care team from St. Croix Hospice (Krista, Jen, Jeremiah, Emma, Paige, Pam, and Vai) and to Katie from Sequoia Integrative Medical Services for her gentle care. Your kindness during these final months will never be forgotten.

Everyone who knew Char had a story to tell about her larger-than-life personality.  Dan remembers the days with Mom enjoying gin: in a dry Tanqueray martini (olives, please) and a game of gin rummy (or cribbage).  Each of her children carries unique memories that only Mom could provide: Tracey recalls yelling at the TV with Mom when the Packers were on (especially during the Starr and Gregg years) and their Everly Brothers sing-alongs. Jen learned the hard way not to lick the mixing bowl until the beaters had come to a full stop, and when her shyness made the first days in jazz band intimidating, Mom said quitting wasn’t an option; “you started it, you finish it.” Shaun will forever cherish watching lots of NBA games with Mom; especially enjoying the Bulls 3-peats.  He will also remember Mom’s advice when breakfast was oatmeal. As Mom said: “You either eat it or wear it.” A bowl of oatmeal isn’t the most stylish hat, but for Mom, it was a lesson in love.

She leaves behind a legacy of laughter, sharp wit, and a reminder to enjoy the flowers while you can.