Charlotte Rowe
July 5, 1927 ~ December 27, 2021
Charlotte Rowe’s life energy left this world on Monday, December 27, 2021. Her passion in this life was music and she left a considerable legacy of the mission throughout her life.
She was born in Greensburg, Indiana in the home of her parents, John R. Moulton and Lenna Way Moulton. She was the last surviving member of that family unit, after losing her parents, her siblings Lucille, Manny, Bob and Ken.
She attended the IU School of Music and began applying that knowledge after her graduation.
Charlotte had four children, Tom Chelton (Beth) of Austin, Texas, Joan Chelton of Columbus, Katie Throckmorton (Bruce) of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and Peter Chelton of Salem Massachusetts, and she gained two step-daughters, Marianne Rowe of Naperville, IL and Suzanne (Roe) Dunham (Randy) of Madison, Wisconsin. Charlotte also cherished her 11 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren with another birth in the forecast.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Vern Chelton, and her husband, E. J. (Pinky) Rowe and her stepdaughter, Marianne Rowe.
Charlotte devoted her life to teaching piano to hundreds of local students, but then proceeded to teach other instructors to use the principles she developed – a class teaching format, including music theory and improvisation, and “green things” at the Christmas recital. She was involved in local and state musical organizations involving performance and piano pedagogy.
In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations to the Brown Scholarship Program at the Heritage Fund.
There will be an informal visitation from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, December 30, 2021 at the Jewell-Rittman Family Funeral Home. A private family burial will follow at Garland Brook Cemetery.
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Full Of Love Bouquet was purchased for the family of Charlotte Rowe.
My mom was passionate about piano and practiced in the evenings when her teaching day was finished. My brother and I shared a bedroom when we were very young and our room was over her studio so we went to sleep every night to the sounds of classical piano music. To this day I fall asleep when I listen to classical music!
When my mom was young she took tap dance lessons and to pay for her lessons her teacher would drive her to Batesville where she would tap dance around the bar for tips. It was the depression but I guess the people in the bar couldn’t resist the dancing of a cute little girl.
Mom told me that when her brothers served in WW II they would send her chocolate, gum and hosiery which were luxuries at that time. My cousin, Jane Moulton, told me Mom’s brothers adored her and I can say that she was definitely the one in the family who got all the love and attention from everyone.
After graduating from high school at age 16 she went to a music conservatory in Indianapolis before transferring to Indiana University School of Music. She was a member of a sorority that is no longer active and when she started dating my dad it was the custom for the men to send chocolate to the sorority sisters. My dad was a Phys Ed major and decided Mom’s sorority sisters needed to lose weight so he sent them rye crisps instead of chocolates. That was the start of the funny and silly things I heard about from before she had children.
Another funny thing about my mom was the way she would adopt the accent of whoever she was speaking with. My dad was Serbian and his parents immigrated from what was then Austria-Herzgonivia. So they spoke Serbian at home. If you didn’t know who was Serbian you would think it was my mom by the way she woke broken English.
I know many funny stories but wanted to share a few of them and a side of my mom that most people would not know. She was really something else.
Sounds like an amazing life…I know she birthed one of the most beautiful and amazing women I’ve ever known.
Sending you and your family much loved and deepest sympathy for your loss.
Sounds like an amazing woman! And I agree with Linda – she did birth one amazing woman 🙂 Prayers and strength to your family as you grieve the loss of your matriarch. :pray::skin-tone-4:
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Beautiful in Blue was purchased for the family of Charlotte Rowe.
I took piano lessons from Mrs Rowe for many many years. She was the best. Her creative & innovative approach to group lessons, cords & music theory was truly ground breaking. I feel so honored to have known her & studied under her. I was always amazed that when she would give you a new piece to learn she would sit down & play it – without sheet music! She must have known literally 1000’s compositions by heart. She has truly made this world a better place.
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