Sept. 27, 1932 ~ Dec. 8, 2024
Charlotte Adele Counts was born in Craig, Colorado, on Sept. 27, 1932. As the eighth child of parents Robert Taylor Counts and Lula Marie Lilly Counts, Charlotte was welcomed home by four big brothers: Robert, Charlie, James, and Gene; and three sisters: Mary, Evelyn and Juanita. At the time of her birth in 1932, the Counts family homesteaded northwest of Great Divide, Colorado, about 40 miles north of Craig.
In 1936 when Charlotte was about four years old, the Counts house was moved to the east side of Cedar Mountain about eight miles from Craig, and her baby sister, Fern, was born, bringing the sibling group to nine. Charlotte grew up doing farm chores including tending to chickens, herding sheep from the mountain, and cooking for the large family and harvest crews. The Counts kids walked to a one room school house about two miles from the family home at Cedar Mountain.
When Charlotte was almost eight in 1940, her brother, Wesley, joined the family as the last and 10th child. This evened the sibling group to five boys and five girls that ranged in age from the newborn to the oldest sister Mary, who was 22. Charlotte loved and appreciated all of them dearly. Charlotte started high school in Craig in 1946, and there was no school bus or transportation provided to town. She boarded with a family in Craig and worked for her room and board.
Charlotte married Daniel George Douglas on Feb. 26, 1950 and they started a family by welcoming Theresa Linda Douglas (Terry Lin) in 1950 and Daniel George (Danny George) in 1953. In their young married years, Charlotte and Danny lived in Mt. Harris east of Hayden where Danny worked in the coal mine; in Syracuse Kansas; in Rangely where he worked for Chevron Oil; and then transferred to Cedar City, Utah with Chevron. When Danny and Charlotte divorced, Charlotte moved to Pueblo, Colorado, to work for the state of Colorado at the state hospital. Charlotte married Harold White on Sept. 12, 1969.
On the north fork of the White River east of Meeker, Colorado, Charlotte and Harold were neighbors on adjoining property, affectionately known as the “Ponderosa” with four of Charlotte’s siblings. The other five siblings visited often with their families and the 10 Counts “kids” with their mother, Lula, welcomed their extended family for the Counts Reunion at the Ponderosa each summer.
After Charlotte’s retirement in 1989, Charlotte and Harold relocated to Meeker. They had built a cabin on their Ponderosa ground in the mid 80’s and loved welcoming friends, family and guests to both their Ponderosa home and their home in Meeker. Charlotte was a devoted member of the church of Christ and enjoyed gathering with her brothers and sisters from the Meeker congregation for study and worship, and inviting them to fellowship up river to the Ponderosa.
When Harold passed away in 2009, Charlotte relocated to Cedar City to be near her daughter and her extended family, then to Grand Junction where she resided in independent living, then back to southwestern Utah to live in an assisted living facility. She regretted not living near her son, Danny who resided near Boulder, Colorado, or getting to see him as often as she would have liked.
Charlotte was extremely thankful for the church of Christ family in St. George and the assistance that the brothers and sisters of that congregation provided in making sure she could attend worship as much as possible. When she couldn’t attend, they would visit her and bring the Lord’s Supper to her.
Charlotte Adele Counts Douglas White passed away on Dec. 8, 2024, in Washington, Utah, at the age of 92. She was interred at the cemetery in Craig, Colorado, on Dec. 20, 2024.
She was preceded in death by: her parents, Robert Taylor Counts and Lula Marie Lilly Counts; her first husband Daniel George Douglas, Sr; her second husband Harold White; her older siblings and their spouses: Mary and Stacey Wagner, Robert and Faye Counts, Charlie and Opal Counts, Evelyn and Ody Shinn, James and Juanita Counts, Juanita and Earl Updike, Gene and Loretta Counts; and her younger sister, Fern Pierce.
She is survived by: her brother-in-law, Jerry Pierce; her youngest brother, Wesley and sister-in-law, Beverly; her son, Daniel George Douglas; her daughter and son-in-law, Terry Linda and Paul Irons; four grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 15 great-great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and sisters and brothers in Christ.
