Charles Nathaniel Tveter
May 26, 1927 TO July 19, 2009
Charles Nathaniel Tveter passed away July 19, 2009 following an extended iIlness. He was born in Tacoma May 26, 1927 and moved with his family at a very young age to Anacortes where he grew up and attended school.
As a youngster, he worked at various jobs in Skagit County: from setting pins in the bowling alley to working on a dairy farm. He then traveled to Montana to work at a cattle ranch. At the age of 14, he joined the Merchant Marine and sailed to various ports of call around the world. He was drafted during World War II and served in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands in the Army-Air Force.
After the war, he served in the reserves for six years and continued his sailing career. He also fished commercially in Alaska and drove truck in Anchorage as a worker on the Alaskan Highway. During that time he also fulfilled one of dreams by obtaining his pilot's license.
In 1950, he met and married Gertrude Leidinger and after living for a short time in Seattle, they moved to Edmonds, where he was a diesel mechanic, tanker driver and first mate on the Washington State Ferries Edmonds-Kingston run. After their three children were born, they moved to Alderwood for several years before purchasing a commercial strawberry farm in the Lakewood area of Snohomish County.
ln addition to growing strawberries, Charles also continued fishing in Alaska. He drove school bus and worked for several dairymen in the county. In 1962, he was able to fulfill another dream by purchasing a dairy farm in Stanwood which he ran until he retired in 1995.
After retirement, he and Gertrude did some traveling, raised beef cattle and enjoyed family and their favorite pets, Nikki and Toby.
Charles is survived by his wife, Gertrude, daughters Jo Beeman of Mount Vernon, Susan Tveter of Stanwood, son Chuck (Nellie); sisters D (Burt) Stack of Pasco and Alice Ann Burke of Puyallup, halfbrother Gilbert Hillsinger of Sunnyside, great aunt Winifred Fields of Puyallup, grandchildren Robb (Lori) Tveter, Charles (Marissa) Tveter, and Kellie Tveter, great-grandchildren Cole, Kylie and Ryan, sister in-law Joyce Leidinger of Edmonds and brothersin law Frank Dunlap of Lake Forest Park and Earl Leidinger of New Orleans, La., and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his mother Gertrude (Hillsinger) Tveter, his father Bernard Tveter, sister Beatrice Dunlap, brother Verne Tveter and son-in-law Russell Beeman
No public service is planned. Memorials may be made to N.O.A.H or your favorite charity. The family would like express their appreciation to the staff of Life Care Center in Mount Vernon for their excellent care.
