Charlotte Isabella Wigness

Charlotte Isabella (Leininger) Wigness, 102, passed away at Prairie Ridge Village in Glasgow, Mont., on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016, surrounded by family.

Charlotte Isabella Leininger was born on Nov. 30, 1914, to John H. and Margaret I. (Hone) Leininger in Prescott, Wis. She was raised and educated in Fortuna, N.D.

She was married for 60 years to Porter Wigness and they raised five children on their farm in Fortuna. She and Porter enjoyed dancing, trips in their motor home to the hot springs, and playing cards.

She was an independent farm wife who helped with all the farm duties, including hauling grain, delivering fuel, providing meals, and unloading trucks during harvest. During the summer months, her home was always filled with grandchildren coming to enjoy grandma's house, learning to drive a stick shift, working, and always having to toe the line.

At 96 years old, she was still helping her son-in-law, Carl unload a grain truck and take the empty truck back to the field. She also hauled her own water for the cistern in her home until she was 97 years old.

She loved entertaining and cooking for large family gatherings. Many Wigness family gatherings were spent at Porter and Charlotte's home. She enjoyed knitting and knit an afghan for all her children and grandchildren. Other things she found important and thoroughly enjoyed were attending school programs, basketball games, volleyball games, and other events of children, grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.

She was active in the Fortuna community including 4-H, senior citizens, and church activities. She was known around the Fortuna community for her flat bread and lefse making!

At 97, she moved to the Kensington Assisted Living Center in Williston. The Kensington closed in 2012, and at that time she moved to Prairie Ridge Village in Glasgow, where her daughter, Sharon, and family lived. Her room at Prairie Ridge was known as the "casino," because of the daily card and board games she hosted. The evenings always ended with an ice cream cone.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her loving husband of 60 years, Porter; and sons, Arden and Porter Alan; a son-in-law, Kenneth Thompson; and grandson-in-law, Lynn Cornwell; five brothers, John, David, George, Harold and Edwin Leininger; and several nieces and nephews.

Survivors include three of her five children, Sharon Thompson of Glasgow, Gerald Wigness and his wife, Marilyn, of Thief River Falls, Minn., and Susan Dahl and her husband, Carl Jr., of Williston, N.D.; a daughter-in-law, Ruth Wigness of Fortuna, N.D.; and 14 grandchildren, Debby Cornwell, Brian Thompson, Diana Boyle, Tom Thompson, Lisa Legare, Scott Wigness, Kent Wigness, Kristi Cooney, Kim Williams, Mike Wigness, Steve Wigness, Barbara Mead, Justene Kulseth, and Carmen Banta; 33 great-grandchildren; 25 great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held Dec. 28, at 2 p.m, at Writing Rock Lutheran Church south of Fortuna, N.D., with Pastor Ron Dahle officiating, followed by burial at Fortuna Cemetery. Visitation was from 3 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 27, at Stakston-Martin Funeral Home in Crosby and also one hour before the service at the church.

Stakston-Martin Funeral Home of Crosby is in charge of funeral arrangements and caring for the family.