Charlotte I. Wigness, 102, of Crosby, North Dakota

Charlotte Isabella Wigness, 102, passed away at Prairie Ridge Village in Glasgow, Montana on December 21, 2016 surrounded by family.

Funeral services will be held December 28th at 2 pm at Writing Rock Lutheran Church south of Fortuna, ND with Pastor Ron Dahle officiating. Burial will follow at Fortuna Cemetery. Visitation will be 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at Stakston-Martin Funeral Home in Crosby and also one hour before the service at the church.

Charlotte Isabella Leininger was born on November 30, 1914 to John H. and Margaret I. (Hone) Leininger in Prescott, Wisconsin. She was raised and educated in Fortuna, ND. Charlotte was married for 60 years to Porter Wigness and they raised 5 children on their farm in Fortuna. Porter and Charlotte enjoyed dancing, trips in their motor home to the hot springs, and playing cards. Charlotte was an independent farm wife who helped with all the farm duties, including hauling grain, delivering fuel, providing meals, and unloading trucks during harvest. During the summer months, her home was always filled with grandchildren coming to enjoy grandma’s house, learning to drive a stick shift, working, and always having to toe the line. At 96 years old she was still helping her son-in-law Carl unload a grain truck and take the empty truck back to the field. She also hauled her own water for the cistern in her home until she was 97 years old.

Charlotte loved entertaining and cooking for large family gatherings. Many Wigness family gatherings were spent at Porter and Charlotte’s home. She enjoyed knitting and knit an afghan for all her children and grandchildren. Other things Charlotte found important and thoroughly enjoyed were attending school programs, basketball games, volleyball games, and other events of children, grandchildren, and many great grandchildren. She was active in the Fortuna community including 4-H, senior citizens, and church activities. She was known around the Fortuna community for her flat bread and lefsa making!

At 97, she moved to the Kensington Assisted Living Center in Williston. The Kensington closed in 2012 and at that time she moved to Prairie Ridge Village in Glasgow, Montana where her daughter Sharon and family lived. Her room at Prairie Ridge was known as the “casino” because of the daily card and board games she hosted. The evenings always ended with an ice cream cone.

Charlotte is survived by 3 of her 5 children, Sharon Thompson, Glasgow, MT, Gerald (Marilyn) Wigness, Thief River Falls, MN, Susan (Carl, Jr) Dahl, Williston, ND. Other survivors include daughter-in-law Ruth Wigness, Fortuna, ND; and 14 grandchildren, Debby Cornwell, Brian Thompson, Diana Boyle, Tom Thompson, Lisa Legare, Scott Wigness, Kent Wigness, Kristi Cooney, Kim Williams, Mike Wigness, Steve Wigness, Barbara Mead, Justene Kulseth, and Carmen Banta. She is survived by 33 great grandchildren, 25 great great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Charlotte was preceded in death by her parents, loving husband of 60 years Porter, and sons Arden and Porter Alan, son-in-law Kenneth Thompson, and grandson-in-law Lynn Cornwell, brothers John, David, George, Harold, and Edwin Leininger, and several nieces and nephews.