SCHOENENBERGER, Chester (1935-2010)

SCHOENENBERGER

Posted By: Don Boucher (email)
Date: 5/3/2013 at 14:22:22

Obituary from The Des Moines Register newspaper, Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, USA on 1-8-2010:

Chester Schoenenberger, 75, of Winterset, Iowa, passed away on January 5, 2010 at Mercy Hospitals in Des Moines due to complications following open heart surgery.

Chester was born January 6, 1935 in a farm house in rural Winterset, Iowa to J.G. ("Doc") and Rella (Breeding) Schoenenberger. He attended Winterset schools, where his mother was a teacher. Chester graduated from Winterset High School in 1952. Throughout high school and shortly after graduation he worked for Martin Skelly station. Subsequently, Chester enlisted in the U.S. Army and served two years as a military police officer. Before choosing to join the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), Chester attend Iowa State University under the GI Bill.

Chester met and married his wife of 45 years, Virginia (Espinoza) Schoenenberger, while on assignment with the Border Patrol in Indio, California. He relocated to Langdon, North Dakota in 1967 and lived on the Canadian border for seven years working as a Customs Agent.

In 1974, he accepted an assignment as a Border Patrol Agent in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. He remained in New Mexico until he retired in 1987. Upon retirement, he returned to his hometown of Winterset and his life as an Iowa farm boy. During retirement, he also worked for the City of Winterset's Parks and Recreation Department. He completely retired to farm life and helping his family, friends and neighbors in 1996.

Chester is survived by his loving wife, Virginia; three adoring daughters and sons-in-law, Maria and Paul Benetti (Conway, Washington), Karina and Jason Casini (Des Moines), and Monica and Dan Frankl (Urbandale); nine grandchildren, Margaret, Ellen, Antonia and Sophia (Benetti); Gabrielle, Max and Isabella (Casini); Samuel and Natalie (Frankl); his brother and sister-in-law, Saul and Alice Schoenenberger (Sitka, Alaska); and his sister and brother- in-law, Fern and Duane Allison (Iowa City). He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Nicholas and James, and sisters, Fannie Anne Chervinka and Helen Axlund.

Visitation will be held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Winterset, Iowa, on Sunday, January 10, 2010, from 2 to 4 p.m., with a prayer service following the visitation. Funeral services will be Monday, January 11, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph's. St. Joseph's is located at 1026 N. 8th Avenue, Winterset, Iowa 50273. Burial will be in the Iowa Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Van Meter, Iowa.

Memorials may be directed to the family at P.O. Box 253, Winterset, Iowa 50273.