Charlotte Meador, age 69, of Huron, passed away from a rare cancer at her home under hospice care on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. As per her wishes, her body has been donated for science research.

A memorial service is planned for 4:00 PM on June 16, 2023, at Wagner Lake in Wagner, South Dakota.

Donations in her memory may be directed to Ihanktonwan Community College, and sent to her family, Charlotte Meador Family, c/o Kuhler Funeral Home, 1360 Dakota Ave S, Huron, SD 57350.

Charlotte Mae Meador of Huron, South, ended her years-long fight with cancer on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at the age of 69. A Michigan native, she lived in many states over the years, including Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and South Dakota.

Charlotte attended God's Bible School (Cincinnati, OH) in the 70's, but did not graduate because Jesus was coming back, and she and her college sweetheart wanted to marry before that happened. Charlotte and Dennis Ray Meador were joined in holy matrimony on August 17, 1976. Three children joined their family quickly, and Charlotte was a busy mother with three toddlers under the age of five. In 1991, two important things took place in their family. Charlotte and Ray had a fourth child, and the family moved from Michigan to Ravinia, South Dakota, where they served together in ministry at Ravinia Community Church for several years.

They later moved to Mitchell, South Dakota, where they lived for 24 years, and Charlotte befriended nearly everyone in town. She worked many places in Mitchell, including Aramark, Life Quest, and Coborn's, frequently at the same time. When she was 50, she chose to finish her bachelor's degree, graduating the same time and from the same college as her oldest daughter, Lynn. She continued her educational journey immediately, soon graduating from Dakota Wesleyan University with an MA in Education. Over time, she began doing the work that had always been her passion ― teaching college at Lower Brule Community College and Ihanktonwan Community College. She also began working on her second Master's Degree in English Literature. Charlotte was ready to dive into writing and defending her thesis, but time is a fickle master, and she did not get a chance.

Charlotte was a lover of adventure, picnics when it was either too early or too late in the year, travel, bonfires, music, gardening, excellent food and coffee, birds, and the wind in the pine branches in Michigan forests. She also loved to be near, on, or in water, whether lake, ocean, stream, or river even though she never learned to swim and certainly did not fish. Above all, she loved people — her family, friends, co-workers, cancer care team, and pretty much anyone else who ever crossed her path. She loved deep conversations, learning new things, and laughing, especially with her grandchildren.

She will be missed forever by her husband, Ray Meador; her four children, Philip Meador, Lynn Meador, Leah (Wesley) Payan and Esther Meador; four sisters, Martha (David) West, Betty Soper, Darlene (Robert) Vogler, and Eleanor (Mark) Graf; six grandchildren, Fedora Godfrey, Angela Payan, Pedro Payan, Andrew Payan, Sophie Hughes and Stella Hughes; one great-grandchild, Sonya Godfrey; two nephews, Nathan West and Sam West and their families; two nieces, Katie Newton and Kayla Ledbetter and their families, along with numerous friends, cousins, and bonus "children" she mothered throughout her life.

She is now reunited with her parents, Glenn and Lota Soper and a sister, Mary Soper.

Donations may be made to

Ihanktonwan Community College Scholarship Fund

RoseAnne Wade

ICC Financial Aid/Business/Orbund/Procurement/HR Clerk

Ph: 605-384-3997