Slocum, Charles Merton
Charles "Chuck" Slocum, 92, died on February 7, 2015 after suffering a series of strokes. His full life followed the commonly shared course of an extraordinary generation of Americans. Chuck was born July 9, 1922 on a farm near Echo in southwestern Minnesota, the eldest of six children of Charles P. and Elsie Johannsen Slocum. The family endured the ravages of the Depression, and by his graduation from Redwood Falls High School in 1939, he had developed an energetic work ethic, a fierce determination never to farm, and an abiding faith in the powerfully life-changing effects of education. After exhausting his resources on one year at Mankato State Teachers College, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, serving from 1941 through the war's end, mostly in the South Pacific, including Iwo Jima, and was discharged with the rank of Captain. Upon his return to Minnesota, he enrolled at Carleton College in Northfield, the first of now 23 Slocums through three generations to matriculate on the maize and blue side of the Cannon River. In an Economics class he met Joan Dows, and they were married upon her graduation in 1947. With his Carleton degree ('48), he joined General Electric for two years, living in Schenectady, NY and Atlanta. Chuck and Joan moved back to Minneapolis in 1950 for the birth of their first child, Linda. Five years later Chuck sold the business he had purchased in Minneapolis, and became an insurance agent and investment advisor for individuals and small businesses, which he carried on until his death. He was also active in real estate investment, including being an original investor in Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior. Chuck served as president of the Carleton College Alumni Association and as an alumni member of Carleton's Board of Trustees, for which he received the College's Award for Distinguished Service. With Joan and his brothers he established the Slocum Family Scholarship Fund at Carleton to provide financial aid to women from rural backgrounds, as the family recognized the particular challenges experienced by girls in small towns and farming communities in accessing higher education. The brothers wanted to honor their mother and sister, who did not have the opportunity to attend college. Chuck also served as a board member and president of the First Universalist Church; he was president of the Minneapolis and Minnesota Life Underwriters Associations; a life member of the Million Dollar Round Table; and for ten years secretary/treasurer of the National Association of Life Underwriters Political Action Committee. Active for most of his adult life in Democratic Party politics at the local and state levels, Chuck was appointed by then Governor Wendell Anderson to the Minnesota State Housing Finance Agency, and was also a longtime member at the local level of the NAACP. Chuck was an earnest and decent man, wholly dedicated to the support and betterment of his family and his children's families. By turns stubborn and irascible, compassionate and generous, stoic and humble, liberally idealistic and principled, and bitterly cynical (he was, after all, a fan of Minnesota sports teams), Chuck's traits, with a few of the rough edges softened by Joan, find reflection in their five fractious, loudly opinionated children: State Representative Linda Slocum (Tony Scallon), Jeffrey Slocum (Helene Zuber Slocum), Holly Slocum (Paul Gunther), James Slocum (Helen Lauderdale), and Marion Slocum (Joseph Caffrey III), of whom he was inordinately proud. He took special delight in spoiling and beating at tennis his eleven grandchildren: Meghan and Caitlin Scallon, Hadley and Jefferson Slocum, Alexander and Rory Carruthers, Marian and Charles Slocum, and Jane, Daniel, and Carrie Jo Caffrey. Chuck is also survived by his sister, Mildred Lorentzen, and brothers Stanley, Clyde, and Laurie. Their brother, Oliver, died in 2001. As a family we have been unusually blessed with laughter, frequently and affectionately directed at our father and each other. He and our mother, who passed away in 2000, have left us with a treasure trove of warm memories and some hilarious comedic material. A celebration of Chuck's life will be held Thursday, February 19 at 11 AM at the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis (3205 Excelsior Boulevard, 55416), with lunch to follow. Valet parking will be available. Memorials, if desired, to the Slocum Family Scholarship Fund at Carleton College, or to the donor's choice. No flowers, please.
Published on February 15, 2015
Charles "Chuck" Slocum, 92, died on February 7, 2015 after suffering a series of strokes. His full life followed the commonly shared course of an extraordinary generation of Americans. Chuck was born July 9, 1922 on a farm near Echo in southwestern Minnesota, the eldest of six children of Charles P. and Elsie Johannsen Slocum. The family endured the ravages of the Depression, and by his graduation from Redwood Falls High School in 1939, he had developed an energetic work ethic, a fierce determination never to farm, and an abiding faith in the powerfully life-changing effects of education. After exhausting his resources on one year at Mankato State Teachers College, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, serving from 1941 through the war's end, mostly in the South Pacific, including Iwo Jima, and was discharged with the rank of Captain. Upon his return to Minnesota, he enrolled at Carleton College in Northfield, the first of now 23 Slocums through three generations to matriculate on the maize and blue side of the Cannon River. In an Economics class he met Joan Dows, and they were married upon her graduation in 1947. With his Carleton degree ('48), he joined General Electric for two years, living in Schenectady, NY and Atlanta. Chuck and Joan moved back to Minneapolis in 1950 for the birth of their first child, Linda. Five years later Chuck sold the business he had purchased in Minneapolis, and became an insurance agent and investment advisor for individuals and small businesses, which he carried on until his death. He was also active in real estate investment, including being an original investor in Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior. Chuck served as president of the Carleton College Alumni Association and as an alumni member of Carleton's Board of Trustees, for which he received the College's Award for Distinguished Service. With Joan and his brothers he established the Slocum Family Scholarship Fund at Carleton to provide financial aid to women from rural backgrounds, as the family recognized the particular challenges experienced by girls in small towns and farming communities in accessing higher education. The brothers wanted to honor their mother and sister, who did not have the opportunity to attend college. Chuck also served as a board member and president of the First Universalist Church; he was president of the Minneapolis and Minnesota Life Underwriters Associations; a life member of the Million Dollar Round Table; and for ten years secretary/treasurer of the National Association of Life Underwriters Political Action Committee. Active for most of his adult life in Democratic Party politics at the local and state levels, Chuck was appointed by then Governor Wendell Anderson to the Minnesota State Housing Finance Agency, and was also a longtime member at the local level of the NAACP. Chuck was an earnest and decent man, wholly dedicated to the support and betterment of his family and his children's families. By turns stubborn and irascible, compassionate and generous, stoic and humble, liberally idealistic and principled, and bitterly cynical (he was, after all, a fan of Minnesota sports teams), Chuck's traits, with a few of the rough edges softened by Joan, find reflection in their five fractious, loudly opinionated children: State Representative Linda Slocum (Tony Scallon), Jeffrey Slocum (Helene Zuber Slocum), Holly Slocum (Paul Gunther), James Slocum (Helen Lauderdale), and Marion Slocum (Joseph Caffrey III), of whom he was inordinately proud. He took special delight in spoiling and beating at tennis his eleven grandchildren: Meghan and Caitlin Scallon, Hadley and Jefferson Slocum, Alexander and Rory Carruthers, Marian and Charles Slocum, and Jane, Daniel, and Carrie Jo Caffrey. Chuck is also survived by his sister, Mildred Lorentzen, and brothers Stanley, Clyde, and Laurie. Their brother, Oliver, died in 2001. As a family we have been unusually blessed with laughter, frequently and affectionately directed at our father and each other. He and our mother, who passed away in 2000, have left us with a treasure trove of warm memories and some hilarious comedic material. A celebration of Chuck's life will be held Thursday, February 19 at 11 AM at the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis (3205 Excelsior Boulevard, 55416), with lunch to follow. Valet parking will be available. Memorials, if desired, to the Slocum Family Scholarship Fund at Carleton College, or to the donor's choice. No flowers, please.
Published on February 15, 2015
Slocum, Charles Merton
Charles "Chuck" Slocum, 92, died on February 7, 2015 after suffering a series of strokes. His full life followed the commonly shared course of an extraordinary generation of Americans. Chuck was born July 9, 1922 on a farm near Echo in southwestern Minnesota, the eldest of six children of Charles P. and Elsie Johannsen Slocum. The family endured the ravages of the Depression, and by his graduation from Redwood Falls High School in 1939, he had developed an energetic work ethic, a fierce determination never to farm, and an abiding faith in the powerfully life-changing effects of education. After exhausting his resources on one year at Mankato State Teachers College, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, serving from 1941 through the war's end, mostly in the South Pacific, including Iwo Jima, and was discharged with the rank of Captain. Upon his return to Minnesota, he enrolled at Carleton College in Northfield, the first of now 23 Slocums through three generations to matriculate on the maize and blue side of the Cannon River. In an Economics class he met Joan Dows, and they were married upon her graduation in 1947. With his Carleton degree ('48), he joined General Electric for two years, living in Schenectady, NY and Atlanta. Chuck and Joan moved back to Minneapolis in 1950 for the birth of their first child, Linda. Five years later Chuck sold the business he had purchased in Minneapolis, and became an insurance agent and investment advisor for individuals and small businesses, which he carried on until his death. He was also active in real estate investment, including being an original investor in Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior. Chuck served as president of the Carleton College Alumni Association and as an alumni member of Carleton's Board of Trustees, for which he received the College's Award for Distinguished Service. With Joan and his brothers he established the Slocum Family Scholarship Fund at Carleton to provide financial aid to women from rural backgrounds, as the family recognized the particular challenges experienced by girls in small towns and farming communities in accessing higher education. The brothers wanted to honor their mother and sister, who did not have the opportunity to attend college. Chuck also served as a board member and president of the First Universalist Church; he was president of the Minneapolis and Minnesota Life Underwriters Associations; a life member of the Million Dollar Round Table; and for ten years secretary/treasurer of the National Association of Life Underwriters Political Action Committee. Active for most of his adult life in Democratic Party politics at the local and state levels, Chuck was appointed by then Governor Wendell Anderson to the Minnesota State Housing Finance Agency, and was also a longtime member at the local level of the NAACP. Chuck was an earnest and decent man, wholly dedicated to the support and betterment of his family and his children's families. By turns stubborn and irascible, compassionate and generous, stoic and humble, liberally idealistic and principled, and bitterly cynical (he was, after all, a fan of Minnesota sports teams), Chuck's traits, with a few of the rough edges softened by Joan, find reflection in their five fractious, loudly opinionated children: State Representative Linda Slocum (Tony Scallon), Jeffrey Slocum (Helene Zuber Slocum), Holly Slocum (Paul Gunther), James Slocum (Helen Lauderdale), and Marion Slocum (Joseph Caffrey III), of whom he was inordinately proud. He took special delight in spoiling and beating at tennis his eleven grandchildren: Meghan and Caitlin Scallon, Hadley and Jefferson Slocum, Alexander and Rory Carruthers, Marian and Charles Slocum, and Jane, Daniel, and Carrie Jo Caffrey. Chuck is also survived by his sister, Mildred Lorentzen, and brothers Stanley, Clyde, and Laurie. Their brother, Oliver, died in 2001. As a family we have been unusually blessed with laughter, frequently and affectionately directed at our father and each other. He and our mother, who passed away in 2000, have left us with a treasure trove of warm memories and some hilarious comedic material. A celebration of Chuck's life will be held Thursday, February 19 at 11 AM at the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis (3205 Excelsior Boulevard, 55416), with lunch to follow. Valet parking will be available. Memorials, if desired, to the Slocum Family Scholarship Fund at Carleton College, or to the donor's choice. No flowers, please.
Published on February 15, 2015
Charles "Chuck" Slocum, 92, died on February 7, 2015 after suffering a series of strokes. His full life followed the commonly shared course of an extraordinary generation of Americans. Chuck was born July 9, 1922 on a farm near Echo in southwestern Minnesota, the eldest of six children of Charles P. and Elsie Johannsen Slocum. The family endured the ravages of the Depression, and by his graduation from Redwood Falls High School in 1939, he had developed an energetic work ethic, a fierce determination never to farm, and an abiding faith in the powerfully life-changing effects of education. After exhausting his resources on one year at Mankato State Teachers College, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, serving from 1941 through the war's end, mostly in the South Pacific, including Iwo Jima, and was discharged with the rank of Captain. Upon his return to Minnesota, he enrolled at Carleton College in Northfield, the first of now 23 Slocums through three generations to matriculate on the maize and blue side of the Cannon River. In an Economics class he met Joan Dows, and they were married upon her graduation in 1947. With his Carleton degree ('48), he joined General Electric for two years, living in Schenectady, NY and Atlanta. Chuck and Joan moved back to Minneapolis in 1950 for the birth of their first child, Linda. Five years later Chuck sold the business he had purchased in Minneapolis, and became an insurance agent and investment advisor for individuals and small businesses, which he carried on until his death. He was also active in real estate investment, including being an original investor in Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior. Chuck served as president of the Carleton College Alumni Association and as an alumni member of Carleton's Board of Trustees, for which he received the College's Award for Distinguished Service. With Joan and his brothers he established the Slocum Family Scholarship Fund at Carleton to provide financial aid to women from rural backgrounds, as the family recognized the particular challenges experienced by girls in small towns and farming communities in accessing higher education. The brothers wanted to honor their mother and sister, who did not have the opportunity to attend college. Chuck also served as a board member and president of the First Universalist Church; he was president of the Minneapolis and Minnesota Life Underwriters Associations; a life member of the Million Dollar Round Table; and for ten years secretary/treasurer of the National Association of Life Underwriters Political Action Committee. Active for most of his adult life in Democratic Party politics at the local and state levels, Chuck was appointed by then Governor Wendell Anderson to the Minnesota State Housing Finance Agency, and was also a longtime member at the local level of the NAACP. Chuck was an earnest and decent man, wholly dedicated to the support and betterment of his family and his children's families. By turns stubborn and irascible, compassionate and generous, stoic and humble, liberally idealistic and principled, and bitterly cynical (he was, after all, a fan of Minnesota sports teams), Chuck's traits, with a few of the rough edges softened by Joan, find reflection in their five fractious, loudly opinionated children: State Representative Linda Slocum (Tony Scallon), Jeffrey Slocum (Helene Zuber Slocum), Holly Slocum (Paul Gunther), James Slocum (Helen Lauderdale), and Marion Slocum (Joseph Caffrey III), of whom he was inordinately proud. He took special delight in spoiling and beating at tennis his eleven grandchildren: Meghan and Caitlin Scallon, Hadley and Jefferson Slocum, Alexander and Rory Carruthers, Marian and Charles Slocum, and Jane, Daniel, and Carrie Jo Caffrey. Chuck is also survived by his sister, Mildred Lorentzen, and brothers Stanley, Clyde, and Laurie. Their brother, Oliver, died in 2001. As a family we have been unusually blessed with laughter, frequently and affectionately directed at our father and each other. He and our mother, who passed away in 2000, have left us with a treasure trove of warm memories and some hilarious comedic material. A celebration of Chuck's life will be held Thursday, February 19 at 11 AM at the Minikahda Club in Minneapolis (3205 Excelsior Boulevard, 55416), with lunch to follow. Valet parking will be available. Memorials, if desired, to the Slocum Family Scholarship Fund at Carleton College, or to the donor's choice. No flowers, please.
Published on February 15, 2015
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