Charlee Marie Engelken

Charlee Marie Engelken, 13, of Manchester, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at the Regional Medical Center in Manchester. She was born on June 6, 2009, in Manchester, the daughter of Thomas and Jenifer (Rucker) Engelken. Charlee was raised in the Manchester area and was an eighth-grade student at West Delaware Middle School in Manchester.

Charlee savored and relished spending time with family and friends, especially her niece and nephews. She preferred the outdoors, fishing, softball and capturing sunsets.  Charlee loved her South Dakota trips with her dad and break dancing with her mom. Her passion was nursing animals and mothering them back to health. Charlee was head strong, quick witted, independent, sassy, embraced hugs and was so very sympathetic.

Survivors include her parents, Tom and Jen Engelken; her siblings, Angela (Zach) Elledge of Platteville, Wisconsin , Dakoda (Jacy) Elledge from Graham, and Kaycee (Kaleb) Elledge of Manchester; nieces and nephews, Noah, William, Elizabeth and Harrison Young, Jaxson Bolsinger, Kayden Williams and Weston Elledge; grandparents, Mike and Judy Rucker  of Colesburg and Rita Engelken of Manchester; aunts and uncles, Rachel (Matt) Elliot of Colesburg, Luke (Stacey) Rucker of Edgewood, Mitch (Janet) Rucker of Urbana, Andrew (Angela) Rucker of Manchester, Becky (Eric) Halsey of Greeley; Dennis Engelken of Ryan, Charles (Jeanann) Engelken of Clinton, Missouri, Karen Mantelle of Lucerne, California, Linda Krueger of Urbandale, Diane (Jeff) Ogden of Manchester, Loras Engelken of Rocky Mount, Virginia, Mary (Steve) Sheppard of Coggon, and Pat (Tom) Taylor of Cedar Rapids; and many cousins.

Charlee was preceded in death by maternal great-grandparents,Theresa and Theodore Huekels; paternal great-grandparents, Ramona and Lloyd Rucker; her grandfather, Ralph Engelken; uncles, Steve Engelken, Fred Engelken, and John Mantele; aunts, Angela Rucker and Laurie Engelken; and cousins, Killian Rucker and Kried and Devon Walker.

Charlee’s Mass of Christian Burial will be livestreamed at http://www.vibrantcatholic.com.

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