Charlotte B. (Chermak) Seemann

Charlotte Bessie (Chermak) Seemann, age 96, of Roseville, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 26, 2024, at the Cerenity Senior Care in White Bear Lake. 

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., September 28, 2024, at St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church in Lowry. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Interment will be in the Bohemian Independent Cemetery, Lake Mary Township. There will be a luncheon after the service.

Charlotte was born June 2, 1928, the youngest of six children, to Charley and Bessie (Vacek) Chermak in Lowry. She was raised on the farm, where her father would take her to grade school in a horse and buggy. When it came time for high school, she moved in with a family in town to attend classes. This experience marked her first taste of independence, and after spending so much time without friends on the farm, she confessed that she found her new friendships far more intriguing than her studies for a while!

Charlotte had an adventurous spirit. After graduating, she moved to Minneapolis and took a job as a teletype operator with Northwest Orient Airlines. This job allowed her to make friends, travel, and live in various places, including spending five years in New York City. Charlotte had a passion for fashion, often shopping on Fifth Avenue, and took dance lessons at the Arthur Murray School of Dance. However, knowing she didn’t want to raise children in New York, she eventually returned to Minnesota. In 1955, she married Don Seemann, and together they had five children. Charlotte left the airline before her first child was born and embraced her role as a homemaker, which she loved. After 25 years of marriage, she and Don divorced.

Charlotte’s love for fashion led her to a job as a sales associate at Martin’s clothing store in Stillwater, where she thrived, consistently being the top salesperson by helping customers find the perfect accessories and outfits. Her passion for dancing also shined at the Medina Ballroom, where she was a regular at ballroom dance events, always filling her dance card with partners of all ages (even younger men) thanks to her exceptional dancing skills.

In addition to fashion and dance, Charlotte was a talented seamstress. Her sewing machine was her constant companion, and she would spend hours altering dresses to ensure a perfect fit or adding unique embellishments to create one-of-a-kind pieces. She also enjoyed cooking, canning, gardening, and entertaining, always adding a special touch with her collection of beautiful dishes, placemats, and tablecloths. Later in life, Charlotte became a nanny, helping raise children for a family she worked with for many years.

Charlotte’s Catholic faith was central to her life. Her well-worn Bible, falling apart from frequent use, reflected her deep devotion. She also demonstrated a remarkable ability to forgive repeatedly, never holding a grudge.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charley and Bessie Chermak; siblings, Walter, Robert (Lorraine), Lucille (Leonard) Craig, Emily (Albin) Trousil and Edward (Alice); and two grandchildren, Jason Boeckel and David Miller.

She is survived by her children, Janet (Kevin) Schlegel, David (Cindy), Paul Charles, John (Lori) and Joanne (Tom) Benick; eight grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.