Charlotte C. Muse

Charlotte Colleen McAninch Muse earned her wings and went to walk with the angels on November 28, 2023. She leaves behind a legacy of service in Independence, but her greatest achievement is her family and the memories she created with them.

Charlotte was born April 3, 1939 in Centerville, Iowa, to Jessie Irene (Sheldon) and John William McAninch. Along with her younger brother, John Charles, they made their home in rural Iconium, Iowa, down the road from her paternal grandparents, where her father and Dad McAninch ran a successful cattle buying operation. Charlotte first attended country school where her mother taught and later graduated from Moravia (Iowa) High School in 1956. She then earned a teaching certificate from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

She returned home and began teaching first grade in Centerville. It was in Centerville that Charlotte met the love of her life, Lynn O. Muse. They were united in marriage on June 14, 1959.

Charlotte and Lynn welcomed three daughters to the world: Kelly Lynn, Lisa Annette and LeAnn Colette, and in August of 1970 the family moved to Independence, Kansas. Charlotte’s life changed dramatically on November 19, 1979 when Lynn passed away suddenly.

Faced with being a single parent, Charlotte began wallpapering homes and later, at the urging of Wayne Sullivan, began her career in real estate. She sold countless homes and farms in the Independence area for 39 years.

While she was very successful in real estate, helping hundreds of families find their homes and earning top salesperson status at Midwest Real Estate multiple times, her greatest achievement was her family. 

Charlotte dearly loved her three daughters, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Grandma Charlotte attended sporting events, plays, dance recitals, band concerts and graduations without fail. Holidays at Grandma Charlotte’s meant making sugar cookies at Christmas, baking and decorating birthday cakes, dyeing eggs at Easter, churning ice cream on the Fourth of July and sewing Halloween costumes.

Once her grandchildren were grown, Grandma Charlotte continued to enjoy time with them during legendary Christmas shopping trips, gift them with her delicious snickerdoodles and even ride the Freakout at the Neewollah carnival with them when she was 80!

In addition to her career and family, Charlotte was incredibly active in the community. Charlotte was a trustee of the First United Methodist Church for over three decades, a trustee for the Independence Community College Foundation, a Junior Achievement board member, a member of the Independence Chamber of Commerce board of directors and Chamber Ambassador of the Year several times.

She was also a Leadership Independence graduate and on the First Leadership board, a member of the Inge Festival committee, P.E.O. Chapter EF and various Neewollah committees through the years. Charlotte was a charter member of Soroptimist and Junior Child Study Club.

Charlotte is preceded in death by her husband Lynn and brother Charles. She is survived by her daughters Kelly Cox and Lisa Wilson of Independence, and LeAnn (Dean) Hebbert of Liberal, KS. Seven much loved grandchildren also survive: Kelsey (Rick) Thompson, Jessie (Robbie) Young, Layne (Gavin) Webster, KasiDee Cox, Abbey (Tyler) Eckberg, Cody Cox and Savanna Hebbert. Four precious great-grandchildren survive: Brock and Maverick Thompson, Bennett Cox and Parker Webster. Charlotte also leaves behind several close friends who were a great source of support and fun throughout her life, as well as her beloved dog Mac who was her faithful companion the last years of her life.