Charlotte "Char" Tjelle

Charlotte “Char” Tjelle, 80, passed away on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at the Eastern Star Masonic Home in Boone, Iowa.

A celebration of Char’s Life will be held 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 8, 2026, at the United Methodist Church in Dayton, Iowa. Pastor Kay. Christie will officiate. Visitation will be prior to the service, from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. Private Inurnment will be at Bass Cemetery, rural Dayton. Carson ~ Stapp Funeral Home in Dayton has been entrusted with the arrangements. For online obituaries & condolences visit: www.carsonstappfuneralhome.com

Charlotte Kay (Jones) Tjelle was born February 8, 1946, to Raymond and Esther (Hitchcock) Jones.

Char was born in Calendar, IA and began school there. Later the family moved to Dayton. Char

graduated from Dayton High in 1966. She had to take off a couple years to have 2 babies. Later caught

up with her class of 1964 at reunions. Char’s first marriage ended but was blessed with 3

daughters. In 1979 she married a wonderful man, Dennis Tjelle. A great father to her 3

daughters. Together they enjoyed several motorcycle trips across many states. For several

winters they spent time in New Mexico for a couple weeks with her mom and stepdad. Many

horse rides were made, and they met several lifelong friends. Char always looked forward

to the Dayton Rodeo. Never missed a year, talked about selling pop on the hill as

a child; she helped several years in the cook shack. Many days you could find her up at the

Dayton Coffee Shop, visiting friends. Some of her favorite times were spent with her

Grandchildren. Leading them for hours on the horses. Chasing plastic boats down the

creek, riding in the side by side during so many camping trips down at the pasture. Then

there was trying to teach them how to drive a stick shift, which didn’t always go so well.

LOL!

Char was one of the hardest workers you could meet. Waitress in many places, even for her

mom in the Maple Lanes Cafe. Iles Clover farm, Cico, Dekalb. While living up north, outside

of waitressing, she drove Forklift for Custom Foods. In 2005 she moved back to Dayton to

help take care of her mom; she began cleaning for local businesses and in homes.

Many times she had more than one job at a time. She was an avid Gardner, vegetables for

canning and beautiful flowers. Char never gave up, was working in Dec. 2024 and in January

of 2025 she became a resident of Eastern Star Masonic Home in Boone. She was still

folding towels for them. She became tired as her health deteriorated and now she can rest.

Surviving her are her 3 Daughters Brenda (Dan) Bergman, Stratford, Annette Kahler (Duane

Boehm) Lakota, Teresa Hansen, Thompson. 7 Grandchildren Tiffany, Jessica,

Courtney, Kendall, Adrienne, Blaine and Tanner, 12 Great Grandchildren Madison, Talyn,

Samuel, Quinton, Hazel, Herman, Bennett, Rilee, Caden, Brooklyn, Jackson, and Fletcher. 1

Sister Nancy (Ron) Johnson, Rake, IA. 1 Brother Leroy Jones, Dayton, IA. 2 very

special friends Wanda Blair and Marilyn Anderson, both of Dayton, IA. Brother and Sister In-

Law Harold and Denise Tjelle, Rake, IA. Many nieces and nephews.

Proceeding her in death her husband of 24 years Dennis, Father Raymond, Mother Esther,

Sisters Eva Rae, Shirley, Carol and infant baby, Brothers Tom and Richard.