 |
Chester attended District 25, located east of McCool Jct, Nebraska. He worked at odd jobs in York until age 16. At Lincoln, he worked for CB&Q Railroad doing maintenance and repair. He worked for Armour Company in the machine shop in Lincoln until it closed. Later he worked WPA projects mostly at the high school in York. Chester was the Edison Elementary School custodian for six years and left York on April 11, 1941 to work at Mare Island Naval Ship Yards as a machinist. His family joined him at Vallejo. Chester was an excellent machinist and enjoyed what he did and was meticulous in every aspect of his work. In 1946 he worked at Judson Pacific Murphy Machine shop building bridges, cranes etc. Returning to Nebraska he worked at Brown Manufacturing and Pacific Gun Site as a machinist at Waverly, Nebraska.
Chester and Thelma Ramge were married in 1926 at Seward and to this union were born four children, Harold, Delores, Dorothy Ann and Richard. Chester and Hazel (Rupert) Rohr were married May 22, 1964 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Hazel passed away in 1986 in York. In 1994 he sold his home and moved to the Leisure Home. In November 2002 he moved into the Hearthstone. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wives, his sister, brothers, his daughter Dorothy Ann and son-in-law JC Carson, two grandsons (sons of Harold) and one great-granddaughter (granddaughter of Delores), Also preceding him were two sisters-in-law, Esther Bagg and Eva Bagg and brother-in-law Clint Ellis. Chester always spoke fondly of his father’s sisters, (Mabel (Bagg) Boren and Fanny (Bagg) Knoll.
Chester will be remembered riding his “Little Rascal” from the Leisure Home to eat lunch at the Midway and also in the Yorkfest parade. He and his wife Hazel enjoyed helping make the noodles at the First Christian Church. They also polished rocks they collected and made jewelry and many, many bolo ties.
Surviving, are his sons, Harold (Mary) Bagg of Medford, Oregon and Richard (Jackie) Bagg of Vallejo, California and daughter Delores Sigmon of Winters, California , grandsons, granddaughters and great and great-great grandchildren. His step-daughters are Delores Jiskra of Tobias, Nebraska and JoAnn Dunker of Ohiowa, Nebraska and their families and step-grand and great grandchildren. Jane Willis was a very special devoted neighbor and friend of many years. Dot Haack and Dick Ellis of York are a niece and nephew.
TODAY
Today I will live one day only, and not try to solve the whole problem of life at once. Today I will be unafraid of life and death, but enjoy the beautiful and be happy. Today I will have a plan even though I may not follow it exactly. It will save me from worry, hurry and indecision.
Today I will adjust myself to what is and not try to make everything over to suit me. If I cannot have what I like, I will try to like what I have. Today I will be agreeable, cheerful. Charitable, praise people for what they do and not criticize for what they cannot do. I will try to regulate or improve only myself. Today I will look about with fresh eyes and discover that I can get out of life all that I put into it. Today I will find a little time to relax and to think about God. Today is yours. God has given it to you. All your yesterday’s He has taken back. All your tomorrow’s He’s holding out of your reach. Only today is yours. Use it so that at it’s close you can say, I have lived and loved today.