Obituary of Chester Will Fisher

Sedan - Chester Will Fisher passed away on March 30, 2011, at his home in rural Chautauqua County, near Sedan, Kansas. He was 82 years old, and is survived by his wife Margaret and four of their five children: Charlene Butler, Eldon Fisher, Sandra Wolfe, and Betty Jean Exley. Marilyn Fisher preceded her father in death. Chester was one of six children and his siblings were: Jack P. Fisher, H. Leroy Fisher (deceased), Effie D. Birch, Reba Lee Mooney, and Kenneth Joe Fisher (deceased). Chester also had eight grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren. The grandchildren are as follows: Brian J. Butler, Shawn Butler, Krista Butler, Michelle Wolfe, Shelly Reding, Damon Wolfe, Melanie Wolfe, and Stacey Exley Great Granchildren are: Tommy Butler, Lee Butler, Georgann Butler, Taylor Butler, Evan Butler, Ryder Reding, Ashley Wolfe, Haze Wolfe, Josiah Wolfe, and Jerzie Abel. Chester Will Fisher was born April 2, 1928, on the Fisher ranch in Stanley, New Mexico. He was raised in New Mexico, but also attended Adventist schools in Lincoln, Nebraska and Keene, Texas. While he was at Keene, he decided to ask Margaret Fay Garner to become his wife, and they were married on October 18, 1948 at her parent's home in Elida, New Mexico. In February of 1951 Chester's parents, Chester Jackson Fisher and Rebecca Fisher, moved to Chautauqua County, Kansas. Chester Will (Chet) and his wife, Margaret, moved with the elder Fishers and purchased the old Spencer place in the Hale community from John Hobbs. The Fisher's have lived in that location for the last 60 years. Chester was a lifelong rancher, who loved the outdoors. He was a real cowboy, one of the old school type who did things a certain way for a reason, not because it was the latest fad. He loved the breeze blowing in his face early in the morning, a good horse that bucked for 10 minutes before you rode off to round up cattle, and a pair of handmade boots that fit just right. If there was a rodeo anywhere in the area, he was going to be there if at all possible. He loved wild cow milking, and other crazy events that usually ended up with someone having cracked ribs. He was one of the original stockholders in the Sedan Roundup Club, and has served as President of the organization. In his younger years he served as a County Extension Board member, and was honored with a soil conservation award in the 1970's. It almost goes without saying that he loved his family, and he loved the Lord. Chester helped to build the Sedan Seventh Day Adventist Church in the early 1970's and has remained a member to this day. He served as church elder for almost 40 years, and supported the church in any way he could. He sent his children to attend Enterprise Academy, as well as Christian summer camps, like Broken Arrow Ranch, and supported those institutions throughout his life. The evidence of his Christian faith was shown in the way he lived his life. Always ready to lend a helping hand to friends and neighbors, often going out of his way to offer assistance before it was needed or asked for, and practicing an open door policy for those who needed a place to stay, or a job for the summer. His home was a constant hub of activity for a large extended family and their friends, and he loved having everyone over to play games, swim, or go coyote hunting. Chester was a special individual who endeavored to enjoy each day to the fullest. Ranch life is filled with hours of hard work in all types of weather, and it takes a certain type of person to live that lifestyle. Chester always worked hard, but he played just as hard as he worked. He loved pranks, and was constantly teasing or playing jokes. He believed that each day you made a choice whether to enjoy your day, or have a bad day. Having a sense of humor about everything made life better for you and others around you as well. Chester just seemed to have that special something that brought out the best in people. You wanted to be a better person when you were around him. He expected you to exhibit good character, high morals, and ethics, and no one wanted to let him down. Family was very important to Chester and he constantly planned picnics, vacations at the lake, and various holiday events as an excuse to invite all his relatives and friends to come join in the fun. Weekends at his house were filled with big meals, lots of company, cards or board games, and traipsing out to the barn to care for the animals. Everyone pitched in to finish the day's work so that the fun could begin. Summertime was a great excuse to play hide-and-seek, and anyone from two years old to seventy could be seen scampering around the large yard and orchard hiding and laughing well into the night. Or loading up piles of "floaties" for a late day swim in the pond. Dragging a bunch of screaming kids around the lake behind his boat was always a highlight of summer activities, and Chester would laugh loudly every time he threw them off the tube, saucer, or water ski's. Wintertime was a good excuse to drag out the old car hood and hook it up behind the tractor, pickup, or four wheeler in later years. Those who rode in the hood can tell you there is nothing like being flipped out into a snow drift at 40 miles an hour! As we share remembrances in honor of Chester's memory there seems to be one statement that is repeated over and over, "I can still hear Chester laughing!" What a wonderful legacy to leave for those who knew and loved him. Family and friends may call on Sunday, April 3, 2011 from 12:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the David W. Barnes Funeral Home in Sedan. Church Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, April 4, 2011 at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Sedan with Pastor Jeff Jorgensen officiating. Burial will follow at the Hale Cemetery in Hale, Kansas. The family has suggested memorials to the Broken Arrow Ranch Youth Camp or the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice and they can be left in care of the David W. Barnes Funeral Home, 209 N. Douglas, Sedan, Kansas 67361. Tagged as: Hale Cemetery, Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice