Charlotte Ryan

Charlotte Colleen (McMahon) Ryan, 77, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 21, 2024 at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Methodist Campus, surrounded by her loving family. 

Charlotte was born on July 26, 1946, to James and Elizabeth McMahon. She grew up on the family farm in Chatfield, Minnesota, with many siblings and animals to keep her busy. Her love for animals led to her becoming the President and Secretary of the 4H Root River Rabbits, where she was proudly announced as Outstanding Fillmore County 4Her of the Year. In that same year (i.e. 1964), she graduated from Chosen Valley High School in Chatfield, Minnesota. 

Upon her high school graduation, she worked as a teller and bookkeeper at Root River State Bank where she met her soon-to-be husband. In 1966, she married her soulmate, James Ryan, and spent the next fifty-seven years together growing in faith, love, and friendship. She was a devoted mother to her four children and a proud grandmother to her seven grandchildren. Char and her husband loved to attend sporting events, music concerts, and numerous other school events annually. 

Charlotte enjoyed playing Bridge, gardening, golfing, bowling, family vacations, and decorating for the holidays. She also baked goodies for anyone and everyone in town. She was a daycare provider, bookkeeper for Big A Auto in Chatfield, and worked for over 20 years at Dayton’s in Rochester, Minnesota. 

Charlotte was a loyal member to her community, serving others with a gracious heart and an infectious smile. She was known for her service to Saint Mary’s Catholic Church as the President of the Altar Society, Lay Minister, Commissioner of Internal and Community Affairs, Chair of the Fall Festival, a distributor of communion for the homebound, offertory counter, and the church gardener (proudly planting rows and rows of vegetables every spring). Additionally, she served on the Board of Directors and was Secretary of the Chatfield Community Chest and the Chosen Valley Country Club, Treasurer of the Women’s Community Club, Meals on Wheels volunteer, Girl and Boy Scout Leader, and election judge. She truly was the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Elizabeth, and four of her siblings, Jim, Joyce, Tom, and Ann. 

She is survived by her husband, James Ryan; children, Kathleen (Brian) Allison, Jim (Michelle) Ryan, Julie (Ron) Henry, and Patrick Ryan; seven grandchildren, Morgan Henry, McKenna (Robert) McBane, Sydney Allison, Zach Ryan, Natalie Allison, Mollie Henry, and Mya Henry; and brother, Bill McMahon. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 11:00 am at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chatfield, Minnesota with Reverend Edward McGrath and Deacon Timothy Welch. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery immediately following the service. Please join the family for lunch at Maddock Hall, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in celebration of Charlotte’s life. Visitation will be held on Wednesday June 26th, 2024, from 5:00 - 7:30 pm and 1 hour before the funeral Mass.

The Ryan family would like to thank the Eisenberg 5-4 nursing staff for the outstanding and compassionate care provided to our wife and mother. 

Memorials are suggested to the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chatfield, Minnesota.