Charlotte Davidson Soles

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - Charlotte Davidson Soles of Barrackville died Saturday, January 14, 2023 at the home of her daughter and caregiver, Deborah Soles Shaver.  She was born at the family home in Worthington, WV, on April 16, 1931 to Parker Alton and Helen (Davis) Davidson.      After spending her childhood first in Worthington then in Monongah and attending Thoburn Grade School, Charlotte moved to Clarksburg to live with her aunt and uncle, the late Lorain (Davis) and Larney Oakes.  On March 2, 1950 she married John J. Soles of Monongah. They made their home on Holbert Road in Fairmont for nearly 30 years.    Charlotte was a 1949 graduate of Bridgeport High School.  She worked at several places when she was young, including O.J. Morrison’s in Clarksburg, National Auto in Fairmont, and Steele’s Grocery in Fairmont.  She was also the bookkeeper for L&J Electric in Fairmont, which was owned by her husband and his brother.    Following the death of her husband on November 2, 1977, she worked at the Fit for A Queen Shop at the Middletown Mall and Hartley’s in Fairmont.  After briefly moving to New Jersey to be closer to her son, she returned to Fairmont where she worked at The Clothes Horse in the Middletown Mall.  In 1984 she entered nursing school at the Monongalia County Technical Center in Morgantown, graduating and passing her state boards in 1985 at the age of 54.  She worked at the Heritage Nursing Home in Bridgeport and did private duty nursing for several years.  She later retired from Hess’s Department Store at the Middletown Mall.    Charlotte attended many churches throughout her life, including Rhea Chapel and St. Paul United Methodist, both of which she participated as a Sunday School teacher.  She was a member of the Worthington Christian Church where she had been an active member of the Christian Women’s Fellowship and also taught Sunday School.  She was baptized as a young adult in the Teverbaugh Creek.  She later became an active member of the Barrackville United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, was a charter teacher in the church afterschool program Bison for Christ, a member of the choir and participated in church yard sales and bereavement dinners.  She was known for her ministry of sending cards of good cheer.    Charlotte loved to dance and taught her children to jitterbug when they were each 3 years old.  Her favorite place was the beach, where she enjoyed sitting under the umbrella with a cool drink and snacks while she watched the waves and listened to the sounds of the shore.  She was very active in the activities of her son and daughter as they were growing up including being a Den Mother for Cub Scouts and a chaperone for the FSHS Keywanettes.   In later years, she attended the sporting events and band perfomances of her grandsons.  She particularly enjoyed watching her grandson play Lacrosse at FSHS.  She became known as the unofficial “Gammy” of her grandson John Mark’s wide circle of friends.  She loved the WVU Mountaineer Football and Basketball teams, and enjoyed season tickets for the football games for several years.  She also loved her Pittsburgh Steelers.  Very active all of her life, she was happily still cutting her own grass through her 90th year and wasn’t afraid to tackle any job.  Her son-in-law fondly referred to her as “Independent Widow” due to her stubborn and self-sufficient nature.          She was very proud of the fact that she had worked as a poll worker from the early 1950′s until the 2010′s, first as a counting clerk, then a receiving clerk, and finally as precinct commissioner.  She was once featured in the Times-West Virginian for her longtime service to the Marion County Election Boards.  In addition to her daughter, she is survived by her son-in-law, Mark Shaver of Barrackville, grandsons John Mark Shaver of Fairmont and Darean Soles of Clarksburg, and sister Nancy Kantura of North Olmsted, Ohio.  She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends. In addition to her parents and husband, she is preceded in death by her son Barry Lee Soles, her sister Donna L. Murray, a brother in infancy Samuel Keith Davidson, her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law including: George Kantura, Chester Soles, James (Roxie) Soles, Lyndon (Bev) Soles, Irene (Wesley) Nicholson, Leona (James) Grove, Wauneda (Don) Evans and Carroll “Bud” Soles.    The family would like to thank WVU Medicine Hospice, especially Tessa Yost, Barbara Nestor, Trish Hess, Shianne Stire and Lori Layne for their tender loving care and attention the last several months.         It was Charlotte’s wish to have no viewing, funeral or memorial.  Private burial will take place at the family’s convenience. The family has entrusted the arrangements to Domico Funeral Home. Online Condolences may be sent to the family at www.domicofh.com.

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