Charles William Wardrip

Funeral services for Charles Wardrip will be held Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Spirit Life Church in Alexandria, MN. A public visitation will take place one hour prior to services. Burial will be at West Evergreen Cemetery in Osakis following the funeral luncheon on Saturday.

Charles William Wardrip was born on December 8, 1927 to Pearl (Adamson) and Jay Wardrip in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Charles and his older brother Harold grew up on the family beef farm. He attended school in Spirit Lake until the eighth grade and continued to farm with his father until 1952.

On December 30, 1951, Charles married Dorothy Lucille Smith. They were both hard workers and enjoyed growing their interior design business, Dorothy being in charge of the design aspects and window coverings and Charles being in charge of the floor coverings and construction.

The couple welcomed two children; Larry and Emily. The family moved and worked throughout Minnesota until they finally settled in Albert Lea in 1964. In 1993, Charles and Dorothy relocated to Osakis, Minnesota. There, the couple enjoyed buying and restoring old homes.

Beyond working alongside his wife of over 70 years, Charles enjoyed reading the Bible and memorizing scripture. Charles and Dorothy even hosted a program on the Albert Lea radio station where Dorothy would sing and play the accordion and Charles would sing and give a short message. Charles was always steadfast in his faith, frequently asking if he could pray for or with people. He also frequently enjoyed the ministries on The Victory Channel and listening to gospel music. He met every day with a smile and a chuckle saying, “This is gonna be a GREAT DAY!”

He will always be remembered for his organization, positive attitude, and hard work. Charles was very active and continued to live on his own -- doing all the yard work, tending to the flowers, and taking care of some light snow removal, well into his 90s. On Sunday, October 22, 2023, Charles passed away at Bethany on the Lake in Alexandria surrounded by the love of his family. He will be dearly missed by his wife, Dorothy of Alexandria; children: Emily Davila of Maricopa, AZ, Larry (Lora) Wardrip of Nelson, MN; grandchildren: Nicholas, Stephanie, Aaron, Nathan, Joyana, Emilie; and many other beloved family and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Jay and Pearl Wardrip; and his brother, Harold (Doris) Wardrip.

Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria is in charge of arrangements for Charles.