FORDYCE, Chester 1880 - 1961
FORDYCE, FELL, CHANDLER, ROTH, BURNETT
Posted By: John Fordyce (email)
Date: 9/23/2003 at 16:30:37
Added by Admin, April 2022 --
"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Tuesday, August 8, 1961
Front Page, Column 4Dr. FORDYCE, 81, Taken In Death
Dr. Chester FORDYCE, 307 E. Broadway, a member of a pioneer Jefferson county family, died this afternoon at Veterans hospital in Iowa City (note: in Johnson Co., IA).
A retired dentist, he had been in ill health for several years. He was 81 years of age.
Dr. FORDYCE returned to his home July 15 after being a patient at the Jefferson County hospital. His condition became worse and he entered Veterans hospital July 21.
Surviving are his wife, one son, Capt. John FORDYCE, Mt. Clemens, Mich., and three grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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Original posting by John Fordyce --
"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
August 9, 1961
Front Page, Column 3Thursday Rites Are Planned For Chester FORDYCE
Funeral services for Dr. Chester FORDYCE, 81, retired Fairfield dentist, will be held Thursday at 2:s0 p.m. CDT at the First Presbyterian church.
Dr. FORDYCE died Tuesday at 1:15 p.m. at Veterans hospital in Iowa City after an illness of three years. He entered the hospital July 21.
Last rites will be conducted by the Rev. James Robertson. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery. The body will be taken to the church from the Raymond Funeral home at 1 p.m.
A lifetime resident of Jefferson county, Dr. FORDYCE was born July 8, 1880 at Glasgow, the son of Dr. Winfield and Marian FELL FORDYCE. He was reared and educated in Fairfield and received his dentistry degree at the State University of Iowa.
He was married to Roxie CHANDLER Oct. 31, 1917. Surviving are his wife and one son, Capt. John W. FORDYCE, Selfridge Air Force Base, Mt. Clemens, Mich. Three grandchildren and two sisters, Mrs. J. A. ROTH, Rock Rapids, and Mrs. J. M. BURNETT, Burlington, also survive.
Dr. FORDYCE had a long military career, serving in the U. S. armed forces in both World War I and II. He was appointed colonel in the Iowa National Guard in 1944 and colonel in the U. S. Army in 1947.
Dr. FORDYCE was also active in civic affairs, serving on the City park board for 20 years and the Evergreen cemetery board for 20 years. He was a member of the First Presbyterian church and a charter member and past exalted ruler of the Fairfield Elks lodge.
He also served as past master of Clinton Lodge No. 15 AF&AM, past high priest of Chapter No. 5 and past commander of Gethsemane Commandery No. 49. He was a life member of the Shrine and a member of the American Legion and Abracadabra.
(Note: Obituary ends with a photograph of Dr. Chester Fordyce, which appears at the end of this posting and was added by the Admin.)
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Added by Admin, April 2022 --
"The Fairfield Ia. Ledger"
Wednesday, August 9, 1961
Page 8, Columns 8 and 9Notice Master Masons
Meet at MASONIC TEMPLE
Thurs. Aug. 10 2 PM (Daylight)
To Attend Services For
BROTHER CHESTER FORDYCE
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"The Fairfield Ia. Daily Ledger"
Thursday, August 10, 1961
PAGE 4, Column 1Editorials
Chester FORDYCE, 1880-1961
Dr. Chester FORDYCE who died Tuesday at the age of 81 years was a man of whom it can be said that the world is a better place because he lived.
He would deny that. There are words which could not be written while he lived without meeting his gruff denial of their truth. Only those who did not know him well knew him almost not at all.
There are many people who have special reasons for being fond of him. It would be more accurate to say there "were" people with those reasons. Most of them are gone now because they were older than he. Behind his let's-have-no-nonsense-about-that exterior stands a record of kindness to those most in need of kindness. That is why those who never needed his kindness didn't really know him.
This writer and his family lived next door to him for the first few years we lived in Fairfield. Those were difficult years in which each day brought new problems. They brought just as many problems to Chet FORDYCE as to anybody else. But you'd never know it. He was busy cheering up those most in need of encouragement.
There were no friendless people if Dr. FORDYCE knew they were alone or in need. He went about the job of bringing cheer to people whom others overlooked as though it were a rare privilege. And if you caught him at it he would declare it amounted to nothing.
We recall one evening when he asked us if we'd like to take a little ride. He had a box in the rear seat of his car. He drove out to the county home. He took the box in with him but didn't ask us to join him.
When he came out he said he hadn't meant to take so much time. And he added: "Some of those people don't have a single relative or friend to show any interest in them. I've known a lot of them for a long time and they like to visit. I guess it always takes longer than I realized when I left you in the car."
In that box had been a gift for every resident of the home. They had been selected with care. He knew which would please each one and he had taken the time to get just the right thing.
"After a while you learn from your mistakes", he chuckled. "There is one old fellow there who likes a certain kind of twist tobarco (sic). I thought they were all the same. But he explained to me with the aid of some profanity that he likes just one brand. Now he always gets that brand and I don't get cussed out."
We tell this incident because it tells the kind of man he was. His similar kindnesses were legion. They were bestowed on those whom others forgot. His greatest embarrassment was when somebody found it out. He seemed not to want others to know that he had a deep sense of compassion.
He made the world better because he made it brighter in places where the sunlight of compassion was so much needed. Most of those who know that are no longer here to say it. We, then, are speaking for them and for ourself.
~~~~
"The Fairfield Ia. Ledger"
Saturday, August 12, 1961
Page 7, Column 5NOTICE OF PROBATE OF WILL IN DISTRICT COURT
State Of Iowa
Jefferson County, ss.To All Whom It May Concern:
You Are Hereby Notified, That an instrument of writing purporting to be the last Will and Testament of Chester FORDYCE, deceased, dated November 10, 1923 having been this day filed, opened and read, Thursday the 24th day of August 1961 is fixed for hearing proof of same at the court House in Fairfield, Iowa, before the District Court of said County, or the Clerk of said Court; and at 9:30 o'clock a.m. Central Standard Time of the day above mentioned all persons interested are hereby notified and required to appear, and show cause if any they have, why said instrument should not be probated and allowed as and for the last Will and Testament of said deceased.
Dated at fairfield, Iowa,
August 10, 1961
(Seal)
W. S. Parkin
Clerk of District court
By Betty M. Burger, Deputy
Aug. 12~~~~
Admin entries copied with permission from The Fairfield Ledger, Inc. IAGenWeb Bylaws PROHIBIT the COPYING AND RE-POSTING OF THIS MATERIAL IN ANY PUBLIC VENUE such as Ancestry or Find A Grave without WRITTEN permission from the submitter(s) ~ copyright restrictions apply.
*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.Note: Buried in Evergreen Cemetery, in Lot 3rd.018. Wife Roxie died in 1979 and was buried with him.
Jefferson Obituaries maintained by Joey Stark.
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