Obituary: Lt. Col. Charles E. Munier of Wheatland Mercantile

Lt. Colonel Charles E. "Chuck" Munier

Last month, Lt. Colonel Charles E. "Chuck" Munier, a Wyoming Army National Guardsman who was also co-owner of Wheatland (Wyoming) Mercantile, which includes the Book Nook, died after a suffering a stroke while serving in Afghanistan. His wife, Nancy Munier, said that her husband suffered the stroke on June 5, soon after returning to Afghanistan following a short leave in Wheatland. He was transferred to Germany and then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he died on June 12.

Charles Munier's military career spanned nearly 28 years. He was born on May 26, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio, and was a member of the Boy Scouts of America since 1965. He was commissioned into the Wyoming Army National Guard on December 22, 1978, serving with the 141st Military Police in Casper until transferring to active duty in December 1980. After leaving active duty status in August 1992, he transferred to reserve status and served as an assistant professor of military science at the University of Wyoming and as an admissions field representative for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Nancy Munier said that she and Charles purchased the Mercantile Building in September 2001, but after 9/11, he was called to active duty and volunteered for duty in Afghanistan. This past January, he sent her a picture of himself feeding rice to Afghan refugees, of which she said, "I've never seen him happier."

Nancy Munier told BTW that, just prior to his return to Afghanistan, Charles had taken a two-week leave to come home and "help us expand our bookstore," she said. Wheatland Mercantile is a 103-year-old building housing a gunsmith; supplies for beading, needlework, and quilting; handmade crafts; assorted dry goods; and the Book Nook. When the quilt store moved into a different location, Nancy said they decided to expand the bookstore.

Charles took a great interest in the bookstore. Nancy said that they were "real new to the business" after purchasing the Mercantile, but "Penguin put us in touch with ABA, and it's been wonderful," she said. "[Charles] did some work in the bookstore and reviewed books for us, especially the military books. We have a good military section because of him."

Charles Munier is survived by his wife, Nancy; his daughter Victoria and her husband, Jef Rice of Wheatland; father, Fredric E. Munier; a half-brother, Joseph, and a half-sister, Suzan, all of Las Vegas, Nevada; his mother, Jeanne Munier of Tulsa, Oklahoma; his brother Fredric M. Munier and his wife, Barbara, of Weatherford, Texas; and his grandmother, Alwilda Meider of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He was preceeded in death by a brother, Dean F. Munier; grandfather, Charles R. Meider; and grandson, Rustle R. Rice. Funeral services were on Saturday, June 17, at the United Methodist Church in Wheatland. --David Grogan