Charlene Mae Chilvers

PIERCE – Memorial service for Charlene M. Chilvers, 96, of Pierce, will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, November 6, 2025 at the United Church of Christ in Pierce. Rev. Gordon Braun will be officiating the service. Inurnment will be held at a later date at the Prospect View Cemetery, rural Pierce. Visitation will begin 1 hour prior to the service on Thursday also at the church. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials to the Pierce Senior Center or Orphan Grain Train in Norfolk. Charlene passed away on Thursday, October 30, 2025 at the Faith Regional Hospital in Norfolk. Stonacek Memorial Chapel in Pierce is in charge of the arrangements. Charlene was born January 27, 1929 to parents Adolph Eggert and Lillie (Lierman) Eggert of Johnstown, Ne. Her elementary education was in a Brown County rural school, where she was usually the only one in the class. Classes were often achieved by listening in on others. She had to pass a test to graduate and to go to town high school. Charlene graduated from Ainsworth High School in 1946. She was honored to be top graduate which was not called valedictorian, but rather chosen as teacher’s favorite and called class orator to speak at graduation. Charlene received the Regents Scholarship, which provided one year of tuition. With this she enrolled at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics in 1950. She met a fellow student, Thomas Chilvers, in an English class at the University. He was a returning GI taking advantage of the free government tuition to earn a college degree. They were married in 1950 in the Zion Lutheran church in Ainsworth and moved to a home on a farm near Pierce. Charlene served as a Home Extension Agent for Pierce County for a short time and found many occasions to help with 4-H clubs and Women’s Extension Clubs in the county. Charlene was active in the United Church of Christ, serving as organist for 46 years. She also did a lot of substitute teaching in the Pierce elementary school and Pierce High school. Charlene and Tom were fortunate to visit many places and winter for over 30 years in Arizona. Charlene is survived by her daughter Marilyn Chilvers of Omaha, son Steven and wife Deborah Chilvers of Pierce, grandson John and wife Kimberly Chilvers of Omaha and their children Cale, Lanny, and Sofie, and grandson Micah Chilvers of Pierce. She was preceded in death by her husband of 74 years, Tom Chilvers, parents Adolph and Lilli Eggert, brothers Harold and Ted, and sister Naomi Porath. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.stonacekfuneralchapel.com.

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Charlene Mae Chilvers

January 27, 1929 - October 30, 2025