Grace Mae Chedester 1918-2008

CHEDESTER, POHLMAN, LINDSEY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 5/20/2008 at 00:20:52

Sioux City Journal
18 January 2008

Grace M. Chedester

MAPLETON, Iowa -- Grace M. Chedester, 90, of Mapleton died Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008, at Lancaster Manor in Lincoln, Neb.

Services will be 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John's United Methodist Church in Mapleton, with the Rev. Fred Pilecki officiating. Burial will be in Grant Township Cemetery, Rodney, Iowa. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service Saturday at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Armstrong Funeral Home in Mapleton.

Grace Mae Pohlman was born near the small town of Portland, Mo., to John and Maggie (Lindsey) Pohlman. She was their first daughter and had seven brothers, Arthur, Casper, Clyde, Charles, Howard, Leo and Clarence. She had one sister, Eva. When she was a small child, her family left their farm and moved to Iowa to farm. They lived in the Castana, Iowa, area most of her childhood years. She attended a country school there and graduated from the eighth grade with a perfect score in mathematics. She loved to read and enjoyed music very much. She enjoyed the Mapleton Library, especially in her later years when she had more time to read for enjoyment.

She was united in marriage to Charles Gray on Sept. 14, 1939, by the Methodist minister in Spirit Lake, Iowa. The couple resided at the Gray farm near Mapleton for a short time, then moved to Smithland, Iowa. Later, they lived in Mapleton, where Charles had his own car business. They had three children, an infant daughter who died at birth, a daughter, Janice, and a son, Roger Gray. On June 21, 1955, Charles died after a long illness.

She was a devoted mother and wife. She always put her family first. She was ready to help others and worked diligently for the church and community. She helped with Cub Scouts and made many costumes for school and church programs. She worked at various part-time jobs while her children were small. She always welcomed her children's friends and loved having them. Later, she did the bookkeeping for Harry Langholz's business and worked for Griffin's Pharmacy, doing bookkeeping and other work at the drugstore.

On May 3, 1966, she married Elmer Chedester at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They farmed Elmer's farm near Castana until they retired to a new home they had built in Mapleton. Elmer was not in good health for several years and she cared for him until his death on June 30, 1985. In 1991, she moved to Yankton, S.D., to live with her daughter and husband, Janice and George Haase. She lived with them for several years until her illness caused her to go to a nursing home. When her daughter moved to Lincoln, Neb., she moved with them to a nursing home in Lincoln.

She was an active member of St. John's United Methodist Church and a faithful worker for the church. She made many beautiful crocheted and embroidered items for the church bazaars. She enjoyed working with her friends very much. She loved gardening and enjoyed her beautiful flowers and garden. She often shared her flowers and produce with others.

Those left to cherish her memories are her daughter and her husband, Janice and George Haase of Lincoln, Neb.; her son and his wife, Roger and Lou Ann Gray of Omaha; four grandchildren and their spouses, Cindy and Tom Masek, Rustin and Kara Haase, Carrie and Bob Furley and Amy and Troy Trumm; 10 great-grandchildren, Maria and her husband, Brian Amt, Amy Masek, Alex, Emily, Adam and Austin Furley, Rustin, George, Margaret and Karina Haase; brothers, sisters and families, Howard and Hazel Pohlman of Ute, Iowa, Leo Pohlman of Des Moines, Clarence and Donna Pohlman of Hillsboro, Ore., and Eldon and Eva Wiese of Mapleton; a sister-in-law, Lois Gray of Mapleton; her nieces and nephews, who were special to her; Elmer's children, Elaine and her husband, Eugene Greenough of Mapleton and Earl Chedester of Omaha; and Elmer's grandchildren, Stacy, Shelly and Eric.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Gray; their infant daughter; her husband, Elmer Chedester; and brothers, Arthur, Casper, Clyde and Charlie Pohlman.

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