Charles Lee Warren

Charles Warren, 99, of Sioux Center died Sunday, April 28, 2024, at the Crown Pointe Care Center in Sioux Center, Iowa.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at Centerpoint Church in Sioux Center with Rev. Roger Voskuil officiating. Interment with full military honors will follow the memorial service in Summit Hill cemetery in Garretson, South Dakota.

A visitation will be held at the church before the service from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM.

The Warren family prefers memorials be directed to the Gospel Mission in Sioux City and the Union Gospel Mission in Sioux Falls. 

Charles Lee Warren was born on March 22, 1925, in the Swedish Hospital, Minneapolis, MN to Ben and Olga (Lee) Warren.  The family moved to Sherman, SD where he completed the first three grades of elementary school.  Charlie continued his education as a Blue Dragon in Garretson, SD where he participated in drama, played trombone in the band, played football, won many medals while running track and graduated in 1943.

Following high school, Charlie worked several jobs in Garretson before being drafted by the United States Army during World War II. He served as a supply clerk at Hickman Field Air Force Base, Oahu, Hawaii, attaining promotions that elevated him from the rank of Private to Technical Sergeant.  Following his time in the service, Charlie returned to Garretson in 1946 and married Ardyce Martens on Sept. 7, 1947.  He utilized his GI Bill to attend barber college in Sioux City, IA and then barbered in Sioux Falls, SD.  Charlie and Ardyce had added three daughters to their family before moving to Huron, SD where he continued his barber trade. In 1955, the family moved to Lake Preston, SD where he started Chuck’s Barber Shop and perfected his gift of gab and story-telling.  His love of sports continued as he “talked sports” with the young athletes and followed the Lake Preston Diver teams for 11 years.  While in Lake Preston he was active in the American Legion, Chamber of Commerce, South Dakota Barbers Association, and he and Ardyce were very active in their church.  He also continued his hobbies of fishing, hunting, and bowling.

After welcoming a son, the family moved to Sioux Falls and in 1966 Charlie opened the Jet Barber Shop.  In 1968 he became a full-time member of the South Dakota Air National Guard and remained employed there until his retirement in 1986. Following Ardyce’s death in 1991, Charlie joined the Christian group THEOS where he met Alma Van Ravenswaay. They were joined in marriage in 1993 and Charles moved to Sioux Center, IA and became a loving step-father to five additional children. Charles and Alma enjoyed many years attending sporting events, enjoying music concerts, traveling to church camp and participating in church activities. In 2019, he became a resident of the Royal Meadows Care Center in Sioux Center where he lived until his death.

Charles is survived by his wife, Alma; children, Marcia (Bill) Huffman, Maureen, (Rick) Edstrom, Mary (Lynn) Unterbrunner, Steve (Sharon)Warren; step-children, Cindy (Darrell) Schuller, Starla (Bob) Jensen, Alvin (Ellen)Van Ravenswaay, Marlys Lenters, and Jay Van Ravenswaay; 32 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren and a host of beloved relatives and friends.

Having lived for 99 years he was preceded in death by many relatives, step relatives and many other loved ones.