Charlotte Ann (Stanek) Adams

Charlotte Ann (Stanek) Adams, age 78, passed away on April 16, 2021 at North Woods Village of Kalamazoo, after battling Dementia.

Charlotte was born on March 12, 1943 in Paw Paw, Michigan, the daughter of Theodore and Helen (Godisak) Stanek.  Charlotte grew up in Decatur where the family worked together farming.  She attended the Lawton Community Schools in Lawton and graduated in 1961.  Charlotte met the love of her life Elvin (Al) Adams when she asked for a ride to a Lawton Football game.  Although Al didn’t like that Charlotte was smoking, he gave her a ride to the football game and the rest is history.  Al and Charlotte were married on July 8, 1961 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Paw Paw and made their first home in Lawrence where their daughter, Pamela was born in 1963.  They lived in Lawrence until 1967 and then moved to Paw Paw, where their son Mark was born in 1968.  In the mid-70’s, Charlotte and Al purchased land in Mattawan and they built the house that they still resided in today.

Charlotte after graduating high school;  was a Wife and Mother until Mark started school and then she volunteered at the Paw Paw Middle School where she worked in the library and then transitioned to a part-time job working in the Paw Paw School cafeteria preparing lunches.  She was known as, “Mom” to many of Pam and Mark’s friends at school.  She worked at the school for over 18 years and finally retired.

Charlotte had a passion for cooking and baking.  There was always a meal on the table for supper and some type of baked goods for dessert.  She was known for her apple slicers and Christmas cookies and often made extra cookies for family or for her Grandchildren to take to school on the holidays.  She loved to host holiday meals where cooking a feast (for way more people than were coming for dinner) was easy for her and all the food always was done at the same time.  She also loved to read and for years it was hard to keep enough books on her tablet.  She loved her family and most of all her Grandchildren who could do no wrong.  God was the center of her life in all that she did and her love focused around her husband, her sisters and brother, her kids and her grandkids.  She loved to polka dance and camp and was a Florida snowbird camper in the winters.  Charlotte and Al could often be found driving one of Al’s old cars in local parades or just tootling around town.

Surviving are her two children, Pamela (Todd) Sikkema, Mattawan and Mark (Lori) Adams, Mattawan;  a sister, Vivian Polomcak, Gobles; 4 Grandchildren,  Chelsea Johnson, East Lansing, Bradley Sikkema,  Nolan and Aiden Adams;  as well as step grandchildren Kari Dumont, Keegan & Danielle Orr, Matthew Sikkema, Maxwell Sikkema, Jorydn Hagen, and Darian Grear; a step-great grandson, Roan Orr and many other loving nieces, nephews, cousins and family friends.  She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her brother James Stanek and her Sister Florence (Stanek) Hunt.

Visitation will be Saturday, April 24, 2021 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Paw Paw from 11 am to noon.  Masks will be required.  A service will follow at noon with Rev. Phillip Phifer officiating.  Interment will follow the service at Almena Cemetery, Paw Paw, MI.  Due to the current health crisis; a family gathering will be planned at a later date this summer of 2021 to celebrate the life and love story of Charlotte and Al.

Contributions may be made to The Dementia Society of America, Trinity Lutheran Church, Paw Paw or Hospice of Southwest Michigan. Share a memory or sign the online tribute wall at: www.adamspawpaw.com.