Charles O. Lewis, 79, of Great Falls, a longtime railroad dispatcher and automobile and retail salesperson, died on Monday, April 27, 2009, at a local hospital, due to natural causes.
His memorial service will be at First United Methodist Church on Thursday, April 30, 2009, at 2 p.m. Schnider Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Condolences for the family may be posted online at www. Schniderfuneralhome.com. Chuck was born Dec. 20, 1929 ,in Havre, Mont., to Theodore and Roberta (Fisher) Lewis. He was raised and educated in Havre and graduated from Havre High School in 1948. He married Dale F. Kneeland in Havre in 1948. Following high school, he worked for the Great Northern Railroad as a telegrapher. Later, he worked with various car dealerships and department stores. Chuck returned to the railroad in the late '70s until he retired from Burlington Northern in 1994. He was a member of the Scottish Rite of Free Masons in Great Falls, a lifetime member of the Masons, a member of Cascade Lodge 37 in Great Falls and was past mater twice. Chuck was a lifetime member of the Scottish Rite and a member of Algeria Shriners, serving as a part of the Clown Club under the alias “Puddles.” He was dearly loved by his family. Survivors include his wife, Dale F. Lewis of Great Falls; daughters, Cheri O’Connor of Woodbridge, Va., Kate Morris of Glendive and Candice Mancuso of Slidell, La.; a daughter-inlaw, Lea Ann Lewis of Havre; 14 grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Charles A. Lewis, in 1989; four grandchildren; and a brother, Ted Lewis, in 1976. The family suggests memorials to the Shriners Hospital for Children, P.O. Box 2472, Spokane, WA 99210-2472.
