Charlotte Jean Broten

Charlotte Jean Broten passed away peacefully on October 18, 2023 at her daughters’ home in Vail, Colorado. She was under Hospice Care. It was a warm, sunny autumn afternoon, just the kind she liked. Charlotte was born on February 9, 1928 to Arthur and Lottie Landon on the farm homesteaded by her father near Ryder, North Dakota. She was the youngest of five children. Because of a snowstorm, the doctor arrived after she did. It was the one time she arrived early! For the rest of her life, she was always running late. Char, her sister Marge and her brother Dale formed the Landon Trio when she was in elementary school. Char played the piano standing up so she could reach the pedals. They played for neighborhood gatherings and were even on the radio! After she graduated from Ryder High School with a focus on business, she moved to Jamestown in 1946 to work for Farmers Union Insurance Company. She met Norman and they were married on June 17, 1948. Always a working mom, when she got home from work, her apron went on and supper was made. She taught her daughters to cook at an early age and they are grateful. Farmers Union branched into real estate and Char found her true calling. She opened Rainbow Realty and had it for 12 years. She then went on to work for Leichty Real Estate and Better Homes and Gardens. She loved meeting people, showing them houses, and ultimately finding just the right one for them. Every Saturday morning, you would find Char at the beauty shop, followed by a trip to the grocery store and then out for breakfast. Char and Norm enjoyed fixing up an old carriage barn that was moved to beautiful Spiritwood Lake. Norm built a block basement and brick fireplace. Char decorated inside and out. Fish fries of walleye, potato salad, cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden, followed by angel food strawberry shortcake was the favorite meal. Char loved all animals and birds and always wanted to make sure they had plenty to eat. She adopted Maya, the stowaway cat found under a fertilizer delivery truck from Canada, through the James River Humane Society. Char and Maya were constant companions for the next 17 years. Maya had many trips to Colorado, the farm and Medora. Visits to the farm where Char grew up lasted a lifetime. She loved the prairies of North Dakota, the fields of sunflowers, the sheep, the cows, the sunsets. Before heading back to Jamestown, there was homemade ice cream with her special hot fudge sauce. Char was 2 months shy of her 90th birthday when she retired from real estate. She spent her last five years in Colorado with her daughters. They enjoyed concerts, many long car rides looking for birds and wildlife and “car picnics”. They would buy take out from favorite restaurants and drive to a creek or lake and have a picnic in the car. Char is survived by her daughters, Norma Jean and Katharine Ann, her sister Marge (102 years old!) nieces, nephews, good friends and dear neighbors. A memorial service will be Friday, June 21, 2024, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Jamestown, North Dakota at 10:30 a.m. The service will be livestreamed at TrinityJamestown.com.