Charles Scudder

October 9, 1928 - August 30, 2018

Charles Scudder Jefferson, Iowa Date of Death: August 30, 2018 Charles Eugene “Gene” Scudder (but lately he wanted to be called Chuck, go figure) died August 30 after a precipitous decline just weeks before. He would have been 90 years old on October 9th and was ready to say goodbye. He was the baby of the family, and the last to die of the children of Nina Irene Poffenbarger and Charles Lyman Scudder. His siblings were Frances Scott, Marjie Lowe, June Ross-Weiss and Robert Scudder. He was a beloved brother and Uncle to their children. Gene was born in 1928 in New Boston, Illinois, but spent his youth in Toledo, Iowa, where he was the marble champion in grade school and played football and the trumpet in High School. It was there he also met the love of his life, but it was not to be. Instead, he became a lover and reciter of regretful love poems. He served in the Air Force and was stationed in Alaska as a radar specialist. He was disappointed to not be an Air Force Pilot, but learned to efficiently peel potatoes, and enjoyed owning planes as a private pilot after his service. He attended Iowa State Teachers College for music. He did neither of those. Instead he opened the Maid-Rite at the junction of Iowa State Highways 30 and 63 with his parents and brother. The restaurant business was always a part of him, be it flipping pancakes for breakfast, washing dishes after every meal he was served, or a couple of stints at restaurant ownership later in life. He moved to Minneapolis in 1964 and owned and operated Margie’s Restaurant on East 42 Street S., the present-day Colossal Cafe that also died this October. Nothing lives forever. Gene and the eponymous Margie [Margaret (Burke) Scudder Brchan] had a daughter, Rachel (Brimmer) Sartin, who was raised by adoptive parents. They were married, and moved to Watertown, SD where he was an Air Traffic Controller and a regular poker player at the Elks Lodge. They raised three children and were married 10 years. Gene was an involved dad; shooting the starting gun at swim meets, flying to far away cross country meets, and taking his kids on loosely planned vacations. He was loved, appreciated, adored and enjoyed by Tom, Kristin (Elizondo) and Michael. Their families will miss his great laugh, enthusiastic curiosity and love of children. He married his second wife, Lois Scudder, in 1980. It was shortly after she broke a finger nail in Las Vegas that he asked if she wanted to buy clippers or get married… she said both. They lived in many places, but in the end, they returned to their home state of Iowa. They were married until his death. A testament to their lives together, she died just 20 days later. Lois’ children; Stephen Smith, Russell Smith, Lisa Fuller, Amy Jessen and Mary Smith will miss the great guy that he was to them. We all will. There will be a celebration on Saturday, November 24th from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at 703 South Chestnut Street in Jefferson, Iowa, where he spent the last two years of his life. We will share a hot beef combo dinner to honor his life, and his love of good food and good story telling. In lieu of memorials, take someone you love for a car ride and point out all the beauty in the world – just like he did. Memories and comments can be shared with the family on his Facebook Obituary Post on the page of KristinSElizondo. Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home 515-386-2171