Obituary of Charlotte Poe

Charlotte Frances (Brown) Poe was born on a farm in Shelby County, Missouri, on March 9, 1919. She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Alta (Williams) Brown, her husband of 60 years, the Rev. Dr. George E. Poe and her son, Dr. George Thomas Poe; her siblings, Ennis Browne, Pansy (Baker/Coulter) and Audrey (Schroder/Overton/Evans/Hart). She leaves an adoring family consisting of her daughter, Phyllis E Poe and husband, Tom Davidson of Eureka Springs, AR, her grandchildren and their spouses, Sara Spitzer and husband, David, of Chambersburg, PA, Jonathan Stalling and wife Amy, of Norman, OK, Robin Barner and wife Anna, Chris (Barner) Poe and wife Ginny, all of Eureka Springs, AR, and Claire Toumbs and husband Kyle, of Venus, TX. And her many great-grandchildren,  Maya, Anemos and Luna Spitzer; Isaac, Eliana and Rowen Stalling; Beetrix, Ruby, Michael Smedley and Noel Smedley-Barner; Zoey and Benji Toumbs, and another little Poe yet to arrive; Nieces, Linda Reed and husband Bob and family, Verlena Dillon and husband, Wayne and family, Bernadine Callahan and family, Pat Webb and family, the late Patsy Webb’s family; Nephews, Edwin Baker and family, Richard Poe and wife Peggy and family, Gordon Poe and partner Betty and family, Jay Overton and his wife, Emily, the late Gary Poe’s family. She has now joined several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters-in-law and Hallie Davidson, a step grand-daughter who passed away just weeks before her. She would often remind her family on earth that as much as she would like to stay here with us, she also had a family in heaven waiting for her.

Charlotte and George married during The Great Depression just one week after she turned 17. Before she was married, she had to drop out of high school to work in a hosiery mill in Moberly, Missouri. Charlotte and George met at the Jefferson Avenue United Methodist Church when they were children. It wasn’t until she was in her thirties, a mother of two, and while George was the minister of the Methodist Church in Cameron, Missouri, that she was able to finish her high school years. She actually went back to school and took classes with some of the youth that she and George ministered to in church. Once she got her high school diploma, she, with encouragement from George, began watching for opportunities to further her education.  While George was minister of the First Methodist Church in Poplar Bluff, MO, several leaders in the community, including George, worked to open a Junior College. Charlotte was one of the first to attend. When they had the opportunity to move to Maryville, MO, the home of NorthWest Missouri State University, as District Superintendent, he took it so she could attend and finish a degree in Education/ Library Sciences. After getting her degree, she worked with the Head Start Program in Nodaway County and did substitute teaching in Kansas City, MO. She was proud of her achievements, but George and her family were the proudest of all.

She was also a partner with her husband in his career and took her role as the Minister's wife seriously. During their life, George was the Methodist minister at Huntsville, Hallsville, Centralia, Claycoma, Cameron, Poplar Bluff, Shell Knob, and District Superintendent in Maryville, Mo. They also served while living in Springfield, Kansas City and Independence, MO.  She radiated the message that “God is Love'' in all of her relations with church parishioners, friends, strangers, and especially family. She was known for her kindness to the very end of her 102 years. She also had a sense of humor which would sneak up on you and leave you laughing in tears.  She will be remembered for her beauty, wisdom, kindness and humor.

A graveside service will be held in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Moberly, Missouri, June 5, 2021 at 2:00 PM.

As church and education were important in her life, donations may be made in her name to The Clear Spring School, PO Box 511, Eureka Springs, AR, the Dr. George Thomas Poe Scholarship Fund, UMKC, Kansas City, MO, or the Methodist Church of your choice.

Pathway Memorial has been entrusted with services.