Charlotte "Char" Anne Taulien

Charlotte “Char” Anne Taulien, of Beachwood, died peacefully on January 11, 2022, at the fabulous age of 90, from complications of a stroke. She was born May 31,1931 in Benton Harbor, Michigan to Fred and Anne Tebbe (deceased). She was the beloved wife of Werner M. Taulien (deceased) for 57 years; loving mother and “Oma” of daughters Karen Taulien, Nancy (Barry) Maxwell and her children Alex, Ben, Jon, and Samantha, all of Ohio; son Harvey (Shannon, deceased) and his sons, Trevor, and Ryan, all of Florida. She is survived by her brother, Paul A. Zoschke (Marcie Wallace) of Minnesota, his daughters Anne Marie Sanchez and Joanna Rojas, and their families. Char graduated from John Hay High School in Cleveland in 1950 after attending Elgin High School in Iowa. She had several jobs as a single young woman, but often mentioned working at Richman Brothers as a highlight. Char secretly took dance lessons at the Fred Astaire studio and was featured dancing on TV with her instructor. She was so relieved her show was on a Sunday evening so her parents would be at church and not see it because her father was a Baptist Pastor and they may not have approved! She was an accomplished, mostly self-taught, pianist and organist and accompanied church choirs, soloists, and male quartets – how she met and married Werner in 1956! She also sang in choirs, trios, and with friends performing shows. As an adult she learned German from LP records so she could better relate to Werner’s mother and sister as they were new immigrants from Prussia at the time. Char had many cousins and relatives in Michigan and enjoyed visiting them throughout the years for special occasions and family reunions. She and her cousin Donna had lots of adventures as young girls, adults, and later in life, some of which remain a mystery to this day! She was always up for Bingo and made dear friends playing several times a week since moving to Beachwood. Oma especially enjoyed Christmas Eve bingo with her Ohio family which often lasted into Christmas morning. Char loved her word puzzles which she regularly worked on at the beauty parlor during her “standing” appointment on Saturdays or at any dull moment – a book was often in her walker. She never saw a Hallmark movie she did not like, especially this past Christmas season while mostly bedridden. Char’s “Our Daily Bread” devotional was always nearby, and she made sure to spend time with “those words” every day. She had an insatiable sweet tooth and enjoyed taking the rapid transit downtown for Morton’s special 3-course dinner, but always insisted on adding a shrimp cocktail as her “fourth” course. At one point she knew every server and manager at Texas Roadhouse in Willoughby. For years she and Werner had their own booth and were known as “The Maxwells.” “Like Maxwell House Coffee,” Werner would say, because Taulien was just too hard to understand! In recent years, she attended concerts at Severance, Blossom Music Center and more. Once, as she was interviewed by a news reporter at the Cleveland Orchestra Fourth of July “Free” outdoor concert she commented, “My daughter and I go to everything – especially if it’s free!” She was a hit and her friends saw the interview on TV which added a second moment, dancing as her first, as “Local TV Celebrity” to her accomplishments! She also made it on the Jumbotron at a Cavaliers finals watch party game. Char attended Parkside Church faithfully for over 35 years where she volunteered, with Werner, at Truth for Life ministry. She was also part of the Group “M” at Thursday morning Bible study with wonderful women who became dear friends. Their support during “Oma’s Adventure” the past few months was invaluable, and they were not alone. All the cards, visits, calls, flowers uplifted not only Char, but our entire family. Recently, she wondered if someone had taken her special seat at the Sunday morning service and what would happen when she went back to sit in it! She often said she preferred Sunday evening services because they were more informal, outside and had free ice cream! Char had style, a wicked sense of humor, a wonderful laugh and was a force to be reckoned with in any adversity that came her way. Not even double knee replacement kept her down at 86! She was an inspiration to all who knew her. But most important to Char, was keeping up with her children’s and grandchildren’s lives and activities through regular phone calls and attending plays, horse shows, football, and softball games when they were young in school. In later years, she even traveled as far as Nashville for a NY’s Eve weekend ice hockey tournament. But traveling for and with her grandchildren was nothing new as she took Karen, Nancy, and Harvey alone on trains to Nebraska and Kansas to visit her parents at their current church location when they were young, and Werner was away at Army Reserve Camp. She was always eager to share their accomplishments with anyone who would listen and, without fail, sent checks on their birthdays in the amount of their age! Oma was their best cheerleader, and she loved each one uniquely and deeply. Her 90th birthday party in May of 2021 was a wonderful day, and she cherished the memory – often rereading the cards she received. Having all her family in town, the Florida gang, her brother and his daughter, cousin Donna’s son, Roland and wife Patty was beyond special. We are grateful to have had that time with old and new friends, especially with the pandemic and what has happened since then in our family. A highlight was bowling for the first time in years with her family at Pinstripes the next day! Char loved the Lord Jesus and trusted in His plan for her life and in the past few months that was especially apparent. The Lord took her quickly and now, in His Presence and finally home, she rests after working so hard to recover from her small strokes at the end of August. We are at peace and know she will reap her reward in time. It would be our privilege and honor to thank you for your friendship and celebrate our mother and Oma together, if you are able to join us, from 11am to Noon on Saturday, January 22, 2022 as we receive friends for viewing and her memorial service at Noon, at the Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. A brief reception will immediately follow the service. Private interment will be at Western Reserve Memorial Gardens, Chesterland. Facemasks will be available, and we will do our best to observe social distancing. While we have shared some of her life’s highlights we have also loved hearing so many new stories about Char since Tuesday and would be grateful to hear your particular memory if you would like share it with us at www.brunners.com/obituaries/Charlotte-Char-Taulien/#!/TributeWall. It will be an encouragement in the coming days as she will be greatly missed, but not forgotten. You may also email it to char@char90.com. Thank you in advance. Finally, in lieu of flowers the Char wanted all remembrances to be directed towards Truth For Life at P. O. Box 398000 Cleveland, Ohio 44139 or online at www.truthforlife.org/donate/ways-give/ Carry on.

Charlotte "Char" Anne Taulien

May 31, 1931 - January 11, 2022