Charleen Hackleman

Charleen Hackleman, 77, El Dorado Springs, was born Wilda Charleen Groves in Cedar County on Jan. 10, 1932, to Charles and Lily Baxter Groves. She passed away Friday, April 18, 2009.

Charleen grew up on a farm southeast of El Dorado Springs with her parents and sister, Ladine (Walden).

Childhood friends remember her as an adorable little girl who nearly always wore a large colorful bow in her blond hair. She attended Forest Grove School and graduated in 1949 from El Dorado Springs High School.

On April 17, 1950, Charleen married Roy E. Hackleman. After living a short time with Roy’s father, they established their own home on a farm southeast of town where she continued to live the rest of her life. She and Roy had four children – Ed, Ray, Kent and Ann.

She spent the early years of her married life caring for her children and working on the farm. After all of her children were in school, she took a job in El Dorado Springs at Dunbrooke Sportswear where she worked for 23 years until she retired in 1994.
Charleen and Roy raised Brangus cattle together and after his death in 1990, she continued to raise cattle until last fall. Long past the time her children thought it was advisable for her to be a hands-on cattle rancher, she continued to feed, water and care for her herd, walking among the large animals with no fear.

Roy’s sudden death which came just months after they celebrated their 40th anniversary, hit her hard but she went on to carve out a new life for herself. She became more active in the church that she attended earlier – the First Christian Church in El Dorado Springs – and volunteered with Meals on Wheels. She often met with her friends for lunch and to visit. She was a member of High Hopes.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and underwent successful surgery. A tornado hit her farm and nearly destroyed her house in 2006. It was rebuilt but shortly after that, she received information that her cancer had returned. She underwent both chemotherapy and radiation treatments and felt well enough to continue her activities and to travel to see her children and grandchildren. Last fall, she began to grow weaker; she fell on New Year’s Eve and was hospitalized.

After five days in the hospital, she moved to Community Springs Nursing Home where she died on April 18, 2009. Representing four different time zones, her children traveled to Missouri to visit with her multiple times during her last illness and they all were with her when she passed.

Survivors include: daughter, Ann Fender – Springfield; sons – Ed (Kathy) Hackleman – Cornwall, PA, Ray Hackleman–– Portland, OR, and Kent Hackleman – Soldotna, AK; grandchildren – Tyler Hackleman – El Dorado Springs, Jeremy (Emily) Hackleman – Lebanon, PA, Cherie Marthaller, Seattle, WA, Rachael (Kris) Watkins – Soldotna, AK, Jason Hackleman, Josh Hackleman and Alex Hackleman – Portland, OR; and great-grandchildren – Trinity Zurflu – Seattle, WA, Andrew Hackleman and Tyler Hackleman – Lebanon, PA.

Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society in loving memory of Charleen.

Services began at 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, in the Bland-Hackleman Chapel with Pastor Barbara Minton officiating. Deanna Johnston and Claudine Pope provided the music. Interment followed in Hackleman Cemetery under the direction of Bland-Hackleman Funeral Home, El Dorado Springs.

Pallbearers were Cam Hackleman, Dan Hackleman, Sam Bradley, Wayne Groff, Gary Jones and Olin Collins. Honorary pallbearers were Tom Cooper, Callaway Minnix, Carlos Cary, Bill Hair and John Richey.