FRANKLIN ---- Charlotte L. (Russell) St. Jacques, 70, of Franklin, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 20, 2022, at Granite VNA Hospice House in Concord, NH, on her 41st wedding anniversary, while being read to from Psalm 42. She passed within minutes of a prayer being said in church that God's will be done for her. Psalms 23 (The Lord is my Shepherd was one of her many favorite verses in the Bible).
She was born in Laconia, NH, on September 30, 1951, to the late Kenneth and Blanche (Martin) Russell.
She graduated from Laconia High School, Class of 1969. She also attended Northeast Bible Institute in Pennsylvania because her goal was to be an overseas missionary.
Charlotte worked a few different jobs throughout her life. She worked at Vernatron in Laconia, NH, Allen Rogers in Laconia, NH, and Dr. Turhune's Dental office in Franklin, NH, and was a valuable asset in the family book, candy, video, and gift shop, Dani's Book Nook. She really enjoyed working there and all the kids that came in for the 800 varieties of penny candy(Guinness Book). She enjoyed teaching Dani and JB how to run the register and other parts of the store.
She and Joe loved fireworks and for several years put on a show in Franklin that attracted thousands of people. The people that attended said it was the best show they saw all around.
She loved her family, Church outings and picnics, her friends, and trips to anywhere. She was a true roadrunner. On many trips with her best friend Patty, they started out for one destination and ended up in a completely different location, state, or even country because of a wrong turn :) lol., her dogs always went for rides with her and got a hamburger from McDonald's. Cocker Spaniels and Lhasa Apsos were her favorite. She and Joe bred Lhasa's for over 20 years. They sold puppies to people in Canada and locally. She loved horses, anything M&M (she had a personal collection of thousands of pieces and could tell immediately if she had an item or not), salt-n-pepper shakers (she had a large collection), ink pens (she had a large collection of different fancy ones - whenever she bought a pen, she got one for Patty too!!), Bingo, Kenny Rogers, and her love of Jesus Christ her Savior - she loved her church. She always made new friends, loved everyone, and adopted their kids as her own.
Her two favorite songs were: "Old Time Rock 'n Roll" by Bob Seger and "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer". The song "Amazing Grace" made her cry every time she heard it because of how much it moved her.
Charlotte was so dedicated to the church that she would go to clean and vacuum on most Saturdays to get it ready for Sunday. One Saturday, when we got a lot of snow, and the roof hadn't been shoveled yet, she was there cleaning and the pastor came in yelling for her to get out of the church because the roof was collapsing. Char wouldn't leave until she was done vacuuming and then went out the back door as the roof collapsed behind her. Even though she didn't want to, she agreed to go on WMUR news as part of the report on the tragedy.
Charlotte ran the Kid's Ark Sunday School at the church for 25 years. She provided lessons and many activities, and many hours of her own time. She was a very dedicated senior member of the church having been a member for over 50 yrs. It was very upsetting to her when she had to miss service because of weather or health reasons.
Charlotte was a true Christian in her beliefs to always do for others. Long before the person that came famous for the pay it forward thing she had been doing it for years. She and Joe would often go without things to help those in need and passed that on to their kids. They always believed it's better to put your hand out filled with things for others rather than putting an empty hand out expecting it to be filled up.
Charlotte and Joe were both married previously; she never wanted to get married again, Joe didn't either, but all that changed when they met in person. She knew she would marry him… before he did. She used to say that they were no longer two people, but one. They always knew what the other was thinking without any words being said.
You'd think she was Italian with how much she loved pasta and making different pasta dishes. Her lasagna was so good that Joe, who didn't like pasta, would even eat it. She loved Shepherd's Pie and made amazing baked beans. She LOVED Provolone Cheese. She was a really good cook. Joe tried to get her to enter cooking contests with her lasagna and beans, but she wouldn't because she didn't want the attention. Joe and Char loved Chinese food and would try different restaurants everywhere they went, but by far her favorite Chinese restaurant was May Garden on West Bow St in Franklin. Her favorite food there was wonton soup. She loved orange chicken too, but strangely enough, her favorite place to get it was Market Basket in Tilton, NH.
When Joe and Char went out to eat she would tell the waiter to put the meat on the plate and run through the kitchen with it and that would be cooked enough. She and Patty went to 5 Guys in Tilton one day, and she told the guy taking her order that she wanted a Hamburger as raw as you can make it. The guy looked at her and said, "I'm sorry, this is my first day at work, and we have to 'fully' cook the burgers." She loved it!!
Whenever the family went on vacation during the summer, it took forever to get her into the pool. Then, once she was in the water the kids would splash her and she'd quickly head to the ladder to get out. Another thing we used to tease Char about, that she took in stride, she was afraid of spiders and we used to toss fake spiders at her. She would scream and then laugh about it.
When Alicia (JB's wife) was 12, she and Charlotte were at the restaurant Bonanza, and she asked her,"Hey, Charlotte. You wanna hear a dirty joke?" She looked skeptical but said "sure" anyway. Alicia replied, "Three white horses fell in the mud". They had a great laugh.
Rebecca said, "Nana was nice and I really loved her and I still do and I very much miss her."
She loved her coffee and would only go to Dunkin's. She went every day. She was the only one that would get a 10 and 10 (sugar and creamer) so when she went to the drive-thru they always knew it was her. Even when she couldn't go out anymore Joe went and got her coffee for her. Knowing Char, she is enjoying a good cuppa up there in Heaven.
After 40 years of marriage, Joe found out that Tom and Jerry cartoons were Char's favorite. Joe bought her several DVDs to watch and she sat there and laughed and laughed. Unfortunately, Char didn't get to watch all of them, but Joe is sure that she is watching all she can up there in Heaven. Joe and Char were best friends. Joe says it feels like half of him has been torn away, but he knows they will be together again for eternity. He knows that she's happy, healthy, pain-free and that they'll be together again some (one) day.
Charlotte was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, nana, aunt, and friend. She enjoyed spending time with her family as often as possible and spoiling her kids and grandkids. Charlotte will be greatly missed by her family and friends, and all who knew her. She had a heart of gold and shined it like a badge.
Charlotte was very proud of the fact that she had miraculously beat cancer more than once. One of the earliest memories I have of her when I was little was when I asked for a tissue and she smiled and said "Tiss you? I hardly know you!" as she handed me a tissue. She told me it was something her mother used to say.
Charlotte was a warrior in the sight of God. The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but her life was no less important to us just because it was so short.
She is predeceased by her parents Kenneth and Blanche and her brother Roger.
Charlotte is survived by her husband, of 41years, Joseph B. St. Jacques lll (Joe); daughter Danielle Rodrigues (Dani) and husband Tim, grandson Andre’ and wife (Hannah) and granddaughter Sage; son Joseph St. Jacques IV (J.B.) and wife Alicia and granddaughters Rebecca and Arabella and brother David and nephews Philip and Zackary.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Assembly of God Church, 100 Academy St., Laconia, NH, on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at 1 pm, with a get-together following the service.
Charlotte's favorite color was blue. We invite you to come to the service wearing something blue in her honor. Char was a very laid-back person. She did not put on any pretenses. Don't feel like you have to dress up to come to the service.
In lieu of flowers, we invite you to make a contribution in Char's memory to the Assembly of God PIN (Parishioners in Need) Fund at 100 Academy Street, Laconia, NH 03246. This is a fund that came to Char's aid when they were surprised by the massive cost of medication that she needed. So it is very near and dear to her heart.
Another option for donations in Charlotte's name would be to The Donald Fogg (Joseph's uncle) Scholarship Fund at the VFW Post 1698, Attention: Chris Josselyn, PO Box 143, Franklin, NH 03235.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, Laconia, NH, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.