Charlotte Goodwin

Charlotte Ann Owen Goodwin was born on November 2nd, 1936 in Preston, Idaho, the second child and oldest daughter of Horace Raymond and Edna Leona Wagstaff Owen.

She lived a life full of adventure in varying forms. She became the mortal enemy of a rooster that liked to attack her older brother, climbed windmills, drove down railway tracks in a jeep, broke hearts, and proceeded to heal many many more. Her adventures on this Earth came to a close on Monday, September 12th, 2022 when our beloved mother and grandmother passed away.

Charlotte wore a great many hats during her time on this Earth. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a friend, a mentor, a healer, and a woman of incredible faith. She was an amateur journalist, a registered nurse, a business owner, an award-winning public speaker, and a fierce believer in living and experiencing every moment of her life.

She was an incredibly loving individual by nature–and there was no doubt that caring for others was her calling. When she was a small child, her father became very sick to the point the doctor gave him only 30 minutes to live. She was whisked away from the home but came back later when her father recovered somewhat. She promised him that when she grew up she would become a nurse and take care of him. She kept that promise. Even when, at 11 years old, she contracted rheumatic fever which left her mitral valve damaged. Her doctor at the time told her that she would be an invalid her whole life and to give up her dream of becoming a nurse, but she had a promise to keep–and keep it she did, even after her father passed at 84 years old.

Anyone who knew her well likely benefited from her fierce drive to defend those she loved or those who most needed an advocate. Whether this presented itself through a love of teaching, going toe-to-toe with doctors to be a voice for patients, or the regular reminders of her love offered through letters written to her children and grandchildren that became incredibly common in her last years.

During a nursing school rotation in Idaho Falls, a friend set her up on a blind date with Reese Goodwin. Their first date was Feb 14, 1958. Reese was smitten, but Charlotte wasn’t. They dated all spring and summer until Reese returned to BYU in the fall. He enrolled but dropped out after only a couple of days because he couldn’t stand to let Charlotte get away. He came back home to Idaho Falls and took all the money he had saved while in the military and bought the biggest ring he could. He gave it to her in October 1958. She refused it, but he told her to keep it anyway. She was incredibly popular and had been proposed to many, many times by this point, though she always turned them down. Charlotte went to her bishop for advice, and, as he happened to know of the Goodwins by reputation, he was able to convince her that Reese was a genuinely good man. Her parents loved Reese and pressured her into getting married, and while she wasn’t certain of her feelings for him, Charlotte took the leap. On May 19, 1959, they were married in the Idaho Falls Temple and their love grew to be the sort that exists only in the greatest of love stories.

In 1964, Charlotte and Reese welcomed the first of four children, Greg. The family moved back to Idaho Falls where their second child Laura was born. After only a year, they returned to Provo after Reese accepted a position as a tenured professor of Engineering at BYU. Reese built a new home in Oak Hills, and both husband and wife lived there until they passed away–it had just passed 55 years by the time Charlotte’s time on this Earth came to an end.

After moving to Provo, the family grew with the addition of Doug in 1971 and Rebecca in 1979. Before too long, the family was joined by son-in-law Nate McConnell and daughter-in-law Jessica South. Eventually, 12 grandchildren were added.

Charlotte continued working at the BYU Student Health Center where she claims she ran the Urgent Care facility. She loved her time there and gained many friendships with doctors and other nurses that she cherished.

Charlotte was an incredible teacher and spent many years teaching the Gospel to Primary children in the different wards she lived in. She loved children and was very good with them. She knew how to handle them with love and affection.

In 2016 it became obvious that Reese was struggling with his memory and was not able to care for himself without some help, so Greg sold his home and moved back to care for his aging parents. Not long after Reese passed away in 2019, Charlotte suffered a severe fall fracturing her skull and causing multiple brain bleeds. She underwent surgery and spent 11 days in the ICU. It was thought that she would not recover, so the family decided to let her go and terminated all but comfort measures. Charlotte, however, had a fierce will to live, and though she came home in hospice care, she quickly was walking, talking, and taking care of herself. Her nurses couldn't believe what they saw. For her family, it was a miracle, as they were blessed with more time with their remarkable mother and grandmother.

When she started dropping weight this past Spring, she again was enrolled in hospice. She threw us a few curves but kept bouncing right back. On Friday, September 9th, 2022 she woke up but lacked the strength to get out of bed and had trouble speaking. When questioned she indicated it was time for her to join her husband on the other side of the veil. Mercifully, she was released after only a couple of days, having faithfully kept her second estate.

Charlotte was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Reese, her brothers Raymond, and Reed, and her granddaughters Elizabeth Ann Goodwin and Lucy Danielle Goodwin. She is survived by her children, Gregory Reese, Laura Ann, Douglas Todd (Jessica South), and Rebecca Jeanne McConnell (Nate), and by her grandchildren–McKenzie Ann Evans, Alexandria Jeanne Evans, Hunter Reese Evans, Abigail Claire Evans, Madison Hope Thatcher (Haze), Hannah Rose Evans, Annie Elizabeth McConnell, Gracie Jane McConnell, Rachel Lynne Goodwin, and Joseph Douglas Goodwin; and by her brothers Wayne and Roger, and her sisters Marcia Hendershot (Jerry) and Carol.

The family would like to thank the team from Elevation Hospice who made her final months easier.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 24, at the Oak Hills 9th Ward Chapel, 1960 North 1500 East, Provo, Utah. There will be a viewing from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, September 23, at Nelson Mortuary, and from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Saturday prior to the services. The interment will be at Eastlawn Memorial Cemetery, Provo, Utah.