Alvin Chesley

ALVIN CHESLEY

Hiawatha

Alvin Charles Chesley, 87, of Hiawatha, died Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016, at Northbrook Manor Care. Memorial services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, at Murdoch Funeral Home, 3855 Katz Dr., Marion. by the Rev. Rick Gail. Visitation is one hour before the service at the funeral home.

He is survived by his wife, June; five children, Allen (Kathryn) Chesley of Plano, Texas, Valerie (Stephen) Reilly of Harrisonville, Mo., Joyce (David) Baumgarten of Cedar Rapids, Rhonda (Ronald Jr) Grimm of Mechanicsville and Arlyn Chesley of Murphy, Texas; 15 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; one sister, Nina Walterman of Jackson, Minn.; and many nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and three sisters.

Alvin was born April 20, 1929, near Sherburn, Minn., the youngest son of Ery Obert "Nick" and Luella E. Harback Chesley. Alvin married June Delores McClain on July 18, 1952, at the Assembly of God Church in Granada, Minn. Alvin was a graduate from the class of 1949, Jackson High School, Jackson, Minn., and graduated in 1955 from North Central University, Minneapolis.

During college and for several years afterward, he was an assistant pastor for several Assembly of God churches. He also pastored Home Mission churches in Iowa and Minnesota. During this period of time, he served in the U.S. Army (Korean conflict). He sold a diverse array of products, including Wear Ever Cookware and Cutco Cutlery, leading the entire Chicago region in April 1966. He was the top salesman for Singer Sewing Machine Co. in the eastern division and was awarded a trip to the 1964 New York World's Fair, where he worked in the Singer Bowl. He moved to Cedar Rapids in 1966, where he continued his sales career until he went to work for the post office, retiring after 23 years.

He didn't enjoy retirement, so he went to work part-time at Royal Fork Buffet clearing tables and telling jokes until it closed.

He was a member of First Assembly of God Church for 50 years, the Linn County Iowa National Horseshoe League, and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 333. Alvin grew up hunting and fishing, providing food for the family. He could always make his mom happy with a fresh catch. He continued this for most of his life, taking his children and grandchildren with him, teaching them the best way to catch the best fish or scare up a pheasant to shoot.

He and his wife loved to travel to the many locations where their children lived. They spent one winter in Texas in their camper. Alvin spent his later years at Northbrook Manor Care in Cedar Rapids, where he always bragged about the good care he received.

Memorials may be directed to Time Timers at First Assembly of God, Cedar Rapids.

Please share a memory of Alvin at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.