Charlotte Ruth Meynink Derksen

On March 22, 2026, Charlotte Ruth (Meynink) Derksen of Shoreline, WA, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family after years with Alzheimer's. She had just turned 82.

Charlotte was born in Newberg, OR on March 15, 1944 to Johannes Philippus Meynink and Wanda Marie Rohrbough. She excelled in her studies and went to Wheaton University to study geology, the only woman in the program at that time. She got to know Roy serving in the quiz program at Youth For Christ, and they married Dec 27, 1966 in Portland. After completing a masters degree in geology, the couple moved to Botswana with Mennonite Central Committee as teachers. Their daughter, Kathryn, was born there in 1971. When they returned, their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1974 in Minnesota, where Charlotte and Roy were teaching.

The family moved to East Palo Alto, California in 1979 so Charlotte could work at Stanford University, having completed a second graduate degree in Library Science. She was Head Librarian and Bibliographer of the Branner Earth Sciences Library, which she built into a premier research facility. Charlotte authored scores of papers and research articles, making significant contributions to her field. In addition, she later became head of all of Stanford University’s Science and Engineering Libraries.

In 2004, upon retirement, Charlotte and Roy moved to Seattle, WA where both daughters had settled, to be close to their growing families. They joined Evergreen Mennonite Church where Charlotte served in many ways, including years as a pianist and Worship Committee host, leading Bible studies and even preaching several times. She served for years on the Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference and Menno Media boards, where her love for education, books and faith intersected. She also launched a major research project in family history and genealogy with Roy - she loved nothing better than digging through new material and finding pieces to a puzzle.

She enjoyed sharing her father’s love for reading with all her grandchildren, patiently reading their favorites over and over again. She also loved the Bible, reading it every day. They supported their children’s music and peacebuilding ministry careers, attending concerts, and traveling to all three African nations where Kathryn and family worked.

Charlotte is survived by daughter Kathryn Smith Derksen with husband Dan and their two children, Claire, and Jacob; daughter Elizabeth Brown with husband Paul and their two children Charlotte (Lotty) and Sarah.

The memorial and celebration of Charlotte’s life will be held on Sunday, June 21, 2026, 11:00am at Evergreen Mennonite Church, 106 5th Ave, Kirkland, WA, lower level, southwest corner. There will be a service followed by a reception.

Cards/flowers may be sent to:

Kathryn Smith Derksen and Family

1228 NE 180th St.

Shoreline, WA 98155

Donations in honor of Charlotte may be made to:

Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference: https://pnmc.org/donate/ promoting spiritual development and nurturing healthy congregations throughout the Northwest Mennonite Conference.

The Mount St. Helens Institute: https://secure.mshinstitute.org/forms/donate supporting educational programming connecting people to Mount St. Helens and our natural world, including their “GeoGirls” program.