Harry Ray Chester

Harry Ray Chester GOREVILLE-Harry Ray Chester of Goreville passed away at 1:55 PM, Sunday, December 17, 2006 at his home. Funeral services will be held at 7:00 PM, Wednesday, December 20, 2006 at the First Baptist Church in Goreville with Dr. Ron Ferguson, Reverend Jeffrey Alexander and Reverend Daren Carstens officiating. Visitation will be from 3:00 until 7:00 PM on Wednesday at the church. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 AM, Thursday, December 21, 2006 at St. John Cemetery in Dongola. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois or Goreville First Baptist Church; envelopes are available at the church or may be sent c/o Blue Funeral Home, PO Box 411, Marion, IL 62959. Mr. Chester was born in Tamms, Illinois to Harry H. and Mable (Lingle) Chester. He married Mary Bennett on February 14, 1948 in Alto Pass, Illinois; together they shared 58 years of marriage. Survivors include his wife, Mary of Goreville; daughters and sons-in-law, Sue and Gary Carstens of East Alton, Raydine and William Alexander of Edwardsville, and Kym Chester-Brown of Wood River; grandchildren, Daren and Laura Carstens, Chris and Mari Beth Carstens, Brian Carstens, Jill and Kristopher Kershaw, Jeffrey and Heather Alexander, Deena Brown and Kayla Brown; eighteen great grandchildren; two great great grandchildren; brother and sister-in-law, Jerome and Reba Chester of Bridgeton, Missouri; and sister, Nadine Lentz of St. Charles, Missouri. He was preceded in death by his parents; grandchild, Jane Alexander; sisters, Ruby Bledsoe and Lillian Miller; brothers, Vernon “Bud” Chester, Delbert “Deb” Chester and Herman Chester. Mr. Chester was currently a member at Goreville First Baptist Church. He had previously served as a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher at Bethel Freewill Baptist Church. He worked for the railroad for many years, and was a member of the Terminal Railroad Association in St. Louis. He was an active member of the Lake of Egypt Property Owners Association and Eagle Point Bay security patrol. He loved to fish and he was an avid St. Louis Cardinal Baseball fan.