Marie Charvat, 92, of Lincoln, Nebraska died Sunday (October 27, 2013) surrounded by her three daughters and husband. Marie Charvat (nee Mahon) was born on August 1, 1921 to Ellen (Rorke) and Patrick Mahon on a farm in the village of Tibohine, County Roscommon, Ireland. She attended school in Ireland until 6th grade and then continued her education in England, going home to Ireland in the summers. Her father took on labor work in England and they lived with her Uncle Bernard. As a child she played a game called camogie, which is like field hockey with a ball, she also loved listening to her father sing and tell stories he would make up, leaving off each night at a really exciting part. Marie would walk home from school for lunch and her mother would cook her favorite lunch for her; an egg and a piece of soda bread. Marie enjoyed fishing with her father at the creek at an end of their farm. On the farm she enjoyed watching the baby animals being born and received a cow for her 16th birthday. One of her favorite stories is that when she was 3 years old she was sent with a can for 3 pennies worth of snuff for her father at the local store. She had a hard time pronouncing snuff and called it “stuff.” The merchant gave her a really hard time, saying, “What kind of stuff do you want?” However, eventually she got what she came for. Marie loved travel and adventure. Another exciting adventure was parachuting out of a plane over a field in England at he age of 17. Her first job was working at a Post Office in England. She wanted to join the service, but her uncle stopped her. Later, she did join the English Army. During WWII she was a Corporal in the English Army and served abroad in both England and Germany. After she was in the service she continued to work for the English Government. Once she waited on Prime Minster Churchill, and also saw Princess Margaret at a party. Her favorite place was Austria where she climbed to the top of the Zugspitze. After the war and her parents deaths, she moved to the United States, living first with an Aunt in New Jersey and then an Aunt in Chicago. She met Edward Charvat at the Algonquin Ballroom in Chicago. They fell in love and were married six months later on April 27, 1957. Ed and Marie moved from Chicago to Lincoln, Nebraska with their three daughters in 1963. Marie volunteered as a P.T.A. secretary and Girl Scout leader. She worked at Miller & Paine Dept. Store, as an election poll worker, and as a Real Estate Agent. Marie enjoyed the adventures of life and dove into new things happily. She was computer savvy and used email and Facebook well into her 90’s.
Marie is survived by her husband Edward, daughters; Audrey Charvat Drew (Gary), Donna Haiden (Mark), and Renee Charvat, 5 grandchildren; Erica White (Gary), Dawson & Raimey Drew, Leah & Rachel Haiden, 2 great grandchildren; Jasmyn & Addisyn White. She is preceded in death by her parents, Ellen and Patrick Mahon, her brother Johnny, and her best friend Peggy Patzel.
Funeral Mass: 2 p.m. Wedneday, October, 30, 2013 at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church, Lincoln. Visitation: 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, October 29, 2013 at Wyuka Funeral Home; and 12-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 30, 2013 at Saint Mary’s Church. Interment will be at Wyuka Cemetery.
Memorials may be left for Monarch Hospice, or the American Cancer Society.
On behalf of the voters of Lancaster County we express our condolences to the family and thank her family for sharing Marie and the enthusiasm she brought to the Polls on so many Election Days over the past 30 years.