Chester Earl Swinger, 86, of Wabash, Indiana, died at 4:54 pm, Saturday, September 16, 2017 at Parkview Huntington Hospital. He was born October 15, 1930 in Dexter, Missouri to Herschel Paul and Gladys E. (Snider) Swinger.
Chester was a US Navy veteran. He married Shirley Heeter on April 18, 1956 in Peru, Indiana; she died December 28, 2005. He was a telegraph operator for the Wabash Railroad, and owner/operator of Swinger Shell in Michigan for six years, Swinger Shell in Wabash, and Swinger 4 Way Shop. He was a member of the Hanna Masonic Lodge. Chester was a jack of all trades who enjoyed building projects, the outdoors, gardening, and doing things with his family.
He is survived by six daughters, Debbie Sunday, Marcia (Ron) Hensley, Julie Castle, Sherry Swinger, and Fern (Jeff) Dillon, all of Wabash, and Mollie (Gary) Hiner of Huntington, 14 grandchildren, Amy (Bradley) McCarty of Bryan, Ohio, Ryan Brown, Aaron Brown, Heather Purvis, Kaleigh Hensley, Sarah Castle, Nathan Castle, Josiah Castle, and Bryce Dillon, all of Wabash, Maria (Andy) Swinger-Inskeep of Colville, Washington, Ashley (Todd) Harris and Audrey Hiner, both of Huntington, Joshua Dillon of Plainfield, Indiana, and Andrea Dillon of San Diego, California, seven great-grandchildren, and foster children, Becky Walsh, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Keith McDonald, of Madison, Ohio. He was also preceded in death by his parents, six brothers, Harry, Lester, Herschel, Otis, Charles, and Marlin Swinger, one sister, Fern Gaines, and granddaughter, Amanda Bowling.
Funeral services will be 2:00 pm, Thursday, September 21, 2017 at Grandstaff-Hentgen Funeral Service, 1241 Manchester Ave, Wabash, with Pastor Andy Inskeep officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Lawns Cemetery, Wabash. Friends may call 1:00 – 2:00 pm, Thursday, at the funeral home.
Preferred memorial is Alzheimer’s Association.
The memorial guest book for Chester may be signed at www.grandstaff-hentgen.com.