E. Bingham

E. Charlene Bingham

Born: March 6, 1929
Died: May 6, 2014

Elma Charlene Bingham (nee Gafford), age 85 passed away in Woodstock, Illinois at Crossroads Care Center. She was born in Peoria, Illinois to Sarah and Joseph Gafford, into a loving family of six children.

As a young girl Charlene sang on the radio, won a city Jacks championship and was a repeat winner of her elementary school jump rope competition. Charlene was a fun-loving person who brought smiles and laughs to everyone she met. She married and had three children. Christa, Sarah and Dallas Latham. When she moved to Woodstock in the early 1950’s with her children, Charlene was employed as a telephone operator, worked at Schultz Brothers, and the Miller Theatre. Besides living in Woodstock, she also lived in Wisconsin, Missouri, Arizona, and Florida. Her and her husband Earl, enjoyed spending summers with relatives in South Dakota. She enjoyed being a grandmother to Cheryl, Randy, Suzy, Shawn and Aaron and was blessed with 9 great-children. Charlene had many friends and loved to live life to the fullest.

Charlene is survived by her daughters Christa Latham Winkelman, Sarah (Gerry) Latham Preston, and a son Dallas Latham, her grandchildren Cheryl (Kip) Marunde, Randy (Tammy) Winkelman, Suzy Winkelman, Shawn (Jodi) Olson and Aaron (Megan) Latham, great-grandchildren Alyssa, Grant and Preston Marunde, Kaylin and Gregory Winkelman, Ashley and Megan Olson, and Scarlett and Griffin Latham, and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Mattie, and brothers Robert, Jimmy, Lee and Dan, husband Earl Bingham, son-in-law Lynn Winkelman, and daughter-in-law Lori McDevitt.

A celebration of life service for Charlene will be held at the Faith United Methodist Church, 404 S. Main Street in Westfield, Wisconsin on Saturday May 17, 2014. Visitation will be at 10:30am with the service to follow at 11:30am. Burial will be in Westfield East Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may made in Charlene’s name to the Budda-Box Fights Cancer, P.O. Box 91, Westfield, Wisconsin 53964


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