Herman John Chester

Herman John Chester, 87 of Morganton, NC died Monday, June 20, 2011 at Burke Palliative Care Center. Born April 8, 1924 in Burke County, NC, he was a son of the late Aurthor Alexander Chester and Effie Jane Whisenant Chester. Herman was a World War II U.S. Army Air Corps veteran, serving from 1943 until 1946 including tours of duty in China, Burma, and India. In 1987, he retired from the General Electric Company. Mr. Chester attended the First Assembly of God on U.S. 70 East and was a long time follower of the Pentecostal faith. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Doris C. Avery; a son, Joseph Chester; brothers, Otis, Roby, Atlas, Fred, and Enoch Chester; and sisters, Zalie Benfield and Alice Saulmon.Surviving to cherish his memory are his wife of sixty-four years, Betty Ledbetter Chester of the home; his daughter-in-law, Linda Chester of Valdese; grandchildren, Chris Wellman of Wilmington, NC, Junette Chester of Morganton, and Jonathon Chester of Jacksonville, FL; two great grandchildren and a number of nephews and nieces.The funeral will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, June 23, 2011 in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center with Pastor Daniel Smith officiating. Burial will follow in Burke Memorial Park with military honors by the N. C. National Guard and the Caldwell County Veterans Honor Guard. The family will receive friends at the funeral home for one hour before the service. Memorial gifts may be made to Burke Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 1721 Enon Rd., Valdese, NC 28690.