William S Chesney

April 29, 1912 ~ January 26, 2009
William S. Chesney, 96, of Princeton, formerly of rural Buda, died at 11:20 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, at Liberty Village of Princeton. Born April 29, 1912, in Putnam County to Samuel Grant and Maude B. (Bradshaw) Chesney, he married Viola B. Van Ostrand June 16, 1936, in Henry. She died Dec. 6, 2006. He was a graduate of Putnam High School. He was the manager of Putnam Grain, Alton Railroad, and worked in the shipyards in Oakland, Calif., during World War II. He farmed in Putnam and Bureau counties, and was owner and operator of Chesney & Schmidt Manufacturing in Manlius until he retired. He was a Mason for 61 years. He became a member of Henry Masonic Lodge 119 on April 27, 1948, and transferred to AMES Sheffield Masonic Lodge 142 in 1962 and to Walnut Masonic Lodge 722 in 2006. He was also a member of Mohammed Shrine in Bartonville, Scottish Rite Valley of Peoria and attended the New Bedford Christian Church. Surviving are three sons, William S. (Charliss) Chesney of Freeport, James L. (Marian) Chesney of Bloomington, Ind., and Max B. (Diane) Chesney of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; one sister, Joan Hunter of San Antonio, Texas; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. He was also preceded in death by his parents and three sisters, Maxine Young, Judy Shearer and Sylvia Chesney. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the Grant-Johnson Funeral Home, Manlius, with the Rev. Marvin Claassen officiating. Burial will be in the Henry Cemetery, Henry. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday in the funeral home, with Masonic rites by Walnut Masonic Lodge 722. Memorials may be directed to Walnut Masonic Lodge 722.
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