Mrs. Charlotte Faye (Williams) Strom

Mrs. Charlotte Faye Williams Strom peacefully transitioned on August 14th, 2023, at the age of 85, in Dallas, Texas. She lived a life of service to many others and is remembered as a woman who made a profound impact on her chosen communities, including her church, the Dog Training Club of Dallas County, Healing Hounds, and with friends and family.

Charlotte’s life will be celebrated in the following ways. All those whose lives she touched, directly or indirectly, are welcome. Celebratory colorful clothing (Charlotte loved flowers) will help create a festive atmosphere.

• Visitation at Laurel Land Funeral Home, Monday, August 21, 2023 from 5-7 pm, 6300 S. RL Thornton Freeway, Dallas.

• A Celebration of Life at Oak Cliff Presbyterian Church, 6000 S. Hampton Rd., Dallas, Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023 at 11 am, followed by a light lunch provided by the Presbytery women. Note: If you cannot attend in person, the service will be live-streamed online. More information is available at the online obituary.

• Interment at DFW National Cemetery, Monday, August 28, 2023, 10 am.

Charlotte was born on her family’s farm in Williamsburg, Iowa in 1938. Her parents were William Raymond Williams and Ila Arlene Olmstead Williams. She had one sibling, her older sister, Jeanette Williams Fahrney (Maurice) of Mason City, Iowa. Charlotte grew up in a rural area mostly farmed by her father’s siblings, and there was a large group of cousins in the area with whom she was very close. Every Sunday afternoon the entire family looked forward to gathering at their grandparents’ home so the cousins could play together.

Outside of the many chores on a farm (including detasseling corn in the summers), her first real job was as a soda fountain clerk at the local drug store in Williamsburg. She saved her money to buy her mother a set of China that Christmas.

Music was an important part of Charlotte’s childhood. Her father loved to play his violin with her while she played the piano. As a teenager she could play a wide variety of instruments, including the flute, contrabassoon, bassoon, oboe, and piano. In her late teens she played with local symphonies throughout Iowa as a means of paying her college tuition.

Charlotte graduated 2nd in her class from Williamsburg High School and then attended the University of Iowa where she met Edwin Thomas “Tom” Strom from Des Moines, Iowa, her future husband of 65 years. She and Tom married in 1958, and they moved to two different universities and two army posts, eventually moving nine times in their first nine years of marriage. In 1967, they moved to southwest Oak Cliff in Dallas, Texas, and have stayed there through the present day.

She first worked as a secretary at her church, and later as an executive assistant at a collection agency. Eventually she started her own collection agency which she ran for eleven years until her retirement.

For most of her life she owned and obedience trained Shetland Sheepdogs. In addition to teaching classes for puppies, she was active in the local dog club, and participated in Healing Hounds, a program which brought therapy dogs into skilled nursing facilities to interact with older residents. She and her dogs participated in square-dancing routines for the public as part of “Dancing Dogs”. For many years she ran blood drives with the Carter BloodCare bank at her church, which later recognized her years of work by naming these events in her honor.

Charlotte is survived by her loving family, including her husband, Edwin Thomas Strom, her daughter Laura Strom (Mark Stackpole), and son Eric Strom (Kathy Kirchhoff Strom). Laura’s children include Sven Dickinson (Xiao Dan Xue), Karin Dickinson (Allen Ortiz), and Thor Dickinson (Makalani Norman-Dickinson), and great granddaughter Nohea’mani Charlotte Norman-Dickinson. Son Eric Strom and wife Kathy have one daughter, Michelle Strom. Charlotte considered Diana Gao Dickinson to be her granddaughter. Diana is the child of Laura’s first husband, Wade Dickinson (Mei Gao). Charlotte is also survived by her sister Jeanette Fahrney’s two daughters, nieces Nancy Fallis (John) and Kristine Fahrney Wiant (Ben), and Tom’s niece Linda Strom Plazak (David), along with cousins, and many great, and great-great nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, sister Jeanette Williams Fahrney, along with many uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, Charlotte’s family suggest memorial donations be made to any of the following organizations.

• Carter BloodCare, Bedford, Texas https://www.carterbloodcare.org/

• Oak Cliff Presbyterian Church – The Great Banquet https://www.ocpres.com/great-banquet

• Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/get_involved

An online obituary can be seen at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/dallas-tx/charlotte-strom-11409166.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.laurellanddallas.com for the Strom family.