Charlene R. Fagan-Briggs, age 97, formerly of Shelby, passed away on March 11, 2026, at Crestline Nursing and Rehab in Crestline, Ohio.

Charlene was born on March 15, 1928, in Shelby, Ohio, to the late Russell Laverne and Emma Gertrude (Dick) Apger. She spent most of her life in Shelby and was the last surviving member of her generation of the Apger family.

Charlene often said she wanted her obituary to simply read, “She was born, she lived, and she died.” But there was so much more to her life. She was spunky, funny, sarcastic, and known for her wonderfully dry sense of humor. Above all, she was loving.

She grew up on South Gamble Street across from Oakland Cemetery, where her grandfather, William Dick, served as sexton for many years. Charlene and her sisters spent countless hours roaming the cemetery while their uncles and grandfather – along with the old mule – worked digging graves. Years later, her brother Bill would also serve as the cemetery’s sexton.

Charlene loved sharing memories of growing up in old Shelby with her many siblings. Some of her favorite stories were about playing in the creek that ran behind South Gamble Street and “picking” night crawlers with her sisters in the evenings to sell to fishermen passing by the next day. Worms were quite the entrepreneurial venture for earning money to buy candy at the corner grocery store.

Being one of eleven children meant plenty of work for their mother. The girls spent long days washing clothes using a wringer washer and hanging them on the clothesline to dry. Meanwhile, the brothers would hide nearby, waiting for the girls to discover the “surprises” they had left in their pants pockets – often garter snakes – just to hear the inevitable screams.

Charlene attended Shelby Senior High School but left before graduating to help support her family by working at the Shelby Bubble Gum factory. Her job was packing jawbreakers, and she came home each day covered in sugar.

Before settling back in Shelby, Charlene lived in five different states and considered herself quite the adventurer. She later married a truck driver, Adrian “Bud” Briggs, which only added to her love of traveling. Her travels also included many trips with her church congregation. Charlene was a devoted member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses for over 50 years, and her faith was very important to her.

She was also a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary in Shelby.

Charlene was an avid reader who loved getting lost in old Western novels and movies. She had a passion for roses and enjoyed antiquing, often visiting flea markets and auctions in search of treasures that caught her eye. When she moved to the nursing facility in Crestline, she would say, “We need to get out and see what garage sales are happening in the neighborhood.” And out she went to explore such garage sales. A true social butterfly, Charlene loved spending time with her many friends and playing euchre, a game at which she became quite skilled. Her outgoing personality and contagious smile will be missed by all who knew her.

Charlene would often say, “Why am I still here? I’m the only one left and have lived longer than anyone in my family.” When asked her secret to living so long, she would reply: bacon, peanut butter no-bake cookies, milkshakes, Milky Way candy bars, and clean, stubborn living. And it was true – she was stubborn.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Warren “Buzz” (Becky) Turner of Shelby; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and special friends, Lisa Briggs and Jeremy and Sarah Miller.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Jacque Fagan (1987); her second husband, Adrian “Bud” Briggs (2009); her daughter, Karen Phelps; her adopted son, Jacque “Cory” Cordell Fagan; four brothers, Dean, Harold, Bill, and Russell Apger; and six sisters, Dorothy Fagan Bailey, Janice Donnenwirth, Shirley DeWitt, Sue Lewis, Sandy Burkhart, and infant Bonnie Jean Apger.

Friends and family may gather to honor Charlene from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Barkdull Funeral Home & Crematory. A funeral service will follow starting at 1:00 PM at the funeral home with Elder Jeremy Miller officiating. A private interment will take place at Oakland Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in her memory by sending donations to Amedisys Foundation, 41 Briggs Drive, Unit 3, Ontario, OH 44906 for Pathways Hospice.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at barkdullfuneralhome.com.

Barkdull Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to assist the family with arrangements.

Funeral Home: Barkdull Funeral Home & Crematory

Website: www.barkdullfuneralhome.com