Charlene Ann (Dial) Curtis' Obituary
Charlene Ann (Dial) Curtis was born June 1, 1942, to Nelson and Elvira (nee Liles) Dial in Ottawa, Illinois. She was the youngest of three children. She graduated from Ottawa High School in June 1960. In August 1960, Charlene enrolled in the Swedish Covenant Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in May 1963 with a Registered Nursing degree. In 1962, mutual friends introduced Charlene to Harold Curtis, and they were later married in June 1964. To this union, four children were born- Andrew, Caryn, Timothy, and Jonathan. In May 1968, Charlene and Harold were called as missionaries with Evangelical Baptist Missions to West Africa. Their journey overseas began in France with French language study in November 1969. In July 1971, they moved to the Republic of Niger in West Africa and began a second language study to learn the Zarma language. All told, Charlene and Harold served the Lord faithfully in West Africa, in the Republics of Niger and Benin, until their retirement in March 2008. Their years in missions also included a brief hiatus from overseas missions, to work with international students at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Charlene is survived by her husband of 61 years, Harold; children, Andrew and Stacey (nee Parthemore) Curtis, Caryn and John Osmus, Timothy and Julirae (nee Geldhof) Curtis, and Jonathan and Christine (nee Ream) Curtis; grandchildren, Elizabeth and Ashur Hu, David Curtis, Emily and Elijah Nelson, Aaron Curtis, Brianna and Hadley Moore, Jacob Osmus, Bethany Curtis, Brandon Curtis, Bryson Curtis, and Brooklyn Curtis; great-grandchildren, Eleanor Nelson and Christopher Moore; brother, Dwain Dial; and sister, Carolyn (nee Dial) Carlson. Charlene is preceded in death by her parents. A FUNERAL SERVICE for Charlene will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at Trinity Baptist Church (4381 S. Sheridan Dr., Muskegon, MI) with Pastor Scott Church officiating. VISITATION with the family will take place from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral and Cremation Services (6291 S. Harvey St., Norton Shores, MI). There will also be an hour of visitation prior to the service at the church on Wednesday. MEMORIALS may be directed to Trinity Baptist Church, Harbor Hospice Foundation, or The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Burial will follow at Norton Shores Cemetery – Ellis Road.
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