Charlene Anna Dunn Stokes, 88, was born July 25, 1935, at home in Clarinda, Page County, Iowa. She passed away December 8, 2023, at The Greenhouse Cottages of Belle Meade, Paragould, Arkansas. The fourth of seven children born to Miller and Mildred (Shaffer) Dunn. Charlene attended Olive Branch Country School through the eighth grade, graduating from Clarinda High School in 1952. Upon graduation she went to work at Mutual of Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska. Charlene married Walter Charles Stokes on July 2, 1954, at the Reformed Presbyterian Church "Covenantor" in Clarinda. They were blessed with three children: Cinthia Lorraine 1956, Geoffery Walter 1959 and Gregory Frances 1961. After getting married, Charlene moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico where Walter was attending New Mexico State University, graduating in 1958. Walter got on with the Sperry company building early warning radar sites around the country. Consequently, they moved in 1958 to Thomasville, Alabama, and in 1960 relocated to Baker, Oregon. On the road again in 1962, they moved to Santa Maria, California and then in 1964 to Port Orchard, Washington. Learning that their next move with Sperry would be to New York, Walter landed civil service employment with the US Navy at Port Hueneme Naval Base, California. In 1965, Charlene packed up the family station wagon and off they set for Ventura, California, where rumor has it she buried her moving shoes. Charlene was a valued home maker, contributing member of Eastminster Presbyterian Church, an active YWCA participant and a avid square dancer. When her children all were of high school age, Charlene took a job as a receptionist/insurance clerk for a local medical doctor's office in Ventura. She enjoyed that work environment and making new friends of her co-workers. Regrettably, the moving shoes were dug up and in 1984, Charlene moved to Violet Hill, Arkansas where they had 160 acres upon which Walter built them a house with the intent to try their hand at ranching. However, Charlene grew tired of living in the "sticks", and wanting to be nearer to her mother, moved in 1993 to Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. There, Charlene and Walter started a small cleaning business and Charlene worked at a timeshare resort. They were active members and Deacons of Faith Presbyterian Church. Upon Walter being diagnosed with cancer in 1998, they moved to Paragould, Arkansas where she would be close to her son Gregg and his family. After Walter's death in 1999, Charlene continued living in her "paid for" house and was an active member of First Presbyterian Church. An avid reader, she was a frequent visitor to the Paragould Library. She visited often with her local grandchildren and often traveled to California and Illinois spending time with her distant children and grandchildren. Charlene enjoyed sharing time with her great-grandchildren and had a host of relatives and friends through the years. In September, 2019, Charlene made her last move to The Green House Cottages of Belle Meade in Paragould; where, due to the dreadful disease of Alzheimer's, she needed full time care for her safety and wellbeing.

Charlene is preceded in death by her parents, husband Walter; daughter, Cindy and son-in law Ronnie Richardson; sisters, Phyllis Fulk and her husband Marvin, Frances Koeningsberg, Delores Billman and her husband Ron; brother, George Dunn; sister-in-law, Kathleen Dunn; grandchild, Austin Stokes.

Left to cherish her memory are her children, Geoffery (Theresa) Stokes of Farmington, Minnesota; Gregory (Barbara) Stokes of Paragould, Arkansas; grandchildren, Nicole Levy, Monique Ritcherson-Meador and Devon Ritcherson Gravatt, Holly (Jerry) Staton and Sophie Stokes; Kimberly Stokes and Hannah (Jordan) Jackson; great-grandkids Rowan Meador, Keldon and Keny Gravatt, Isaac Stokes, Hallie Gilmore, Norah and Alanah Jackson; brothers Charles Dunn of Waverly, Nebraska and Jim (Janet) Dunn of Clarinda, Iowa; nieces, nephews and many friends.