Grace L. Chegwidden

Service Time: 11:00 A.M.
Day and Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Location: Trinity United Methodist Church of Russell, Kansas
Visitation and Guest Book Registration: 9 A.M. to 8 P.M. on Tuesday, June 24th.  Family present 6 P.M. to 7 P.M. Tuesday evening.
Burial: Bunker Hill Cemetery in Bunker Hill, Kansas
Memorial: Bunker Hill United Methodist Church or Donor's Choice.

Grace Louise Chegwidden , 88 of Salina went home to be with the Lord Friday, June 20, 2008, surrounded by her family at Presbyterian Manor in Salina . Grace was born on March 22, 1920 in Bunker Hill , the daughter of Walter and Estella (Bronson) Cobb, and was the second of five daughters. She attended school in Bunker Hill and graduated from Bunker Hill High School in 1937.

Grace married Byron (Doc) Chegwidden in Bunker Hill on Easter Sunder, 1938. She and Byron were the first couple to be married in the new Bunker Hill Methodist Church . Throughout their married life they loved being together and you rarely saw one without the other. The couple lived in Bunker Hill and Russell most of their married life of 47 years. For a short time they resided in Cheyenne , WY , but soon returned to Bunker Hill where they raised their young family. In 1973 she and Byron moved to Russell.

Grace became the Postmaster of the Bunker Hill Post Office while living in Bunker Hill and continued in that position until her retirement. She loved her work and was very proud to be on board when the new Post Office was built in Bunker Hill .

Grace was a very devoted wife and mother as well as a friend to many. She never failed to have a greeting and a smile for others, and was always the first to lend a helping hand to friends and neighbors. You could always count on Grace to be loyal and trustworthy. She did many things well, and always had a very independent spirit.

She lived her life with great joy and was always a hard and enthusiastic worker. She loved to sing in the church choir and music was a very big part of her life. She and Byron loved to go dancing and they hardly let a week go by without enjoying that pastime. Wherever Grace was, there was laughter and warmth. She especially loved children and they returned her affection. She was a Sunday school teacher and a church youth group leader for many years. She could be found at all of her children’s ball games and music concerts through their growing up years. When her grandchildren came along, she was happiest when they were all around her.

She was very active in the National Postmaster’s Association and she and Doc traveled to conventions all over the United States, as well as Puerto Rico, where they were well known and made many good friends from all over the country.

Grace was a life-long member of the Methodist Church , first in Bunker Hill and then at Trinity United Methodist Church of Russell where she was a member of Love Circle . She received her 50 year pin as a member of the Eastern Star. She was a member of the VFW. Auxiliary, the American Legion Auxiliary and was a Lady Elk and a Lady Shriner. She was also a lifetime member of the National Association of Postmasters and was active in the State Association as well.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Clara (Cobb) Holland and Gladys Cobb, brothers-in-law Earl Rogg, Eugene Holland and John Lewis, niece Marcee Lewis Magley, and her beloved husband Byron (Doc) Chegwidden.

Her survivors are her children, Vicki (Chegwidden) Rogg and husband Darrell of Salina and Dennis Chegwidden and wife Dottie of Lewisville, TX. and Douglas Chegwidden of Topeka . She also leaves her grandchildren Bradley Meier of Salina , Holli Meier Schneider and husband Jesse of Hutchinson, Brenda Chegwidden Williams and husband Brian of Topeka, Troy Chegwidden and wife Amanda of Topeka, Lincoln Chegwidden and wife Dawn of Flower Mound, TX, and Stephanie Chegwidden of Lewisville , TX . Her great grandchildren are Jesse Schneider and Joel Schneider of Hutchinson, Mikaela Chegwidden and Agnes Marie Chegwidden of Flower Mound, TX, Brooke Williams and Blakelee Williams of Topeka . She also leaves two granddaughters by marriage, Tiffini Rogg Hughes and family of Park City and Randa Rogg Hessman and family of Lawrence , KS . She will be sincerely missed by her surviving sisters Cobbie Rogg of Russell and Merry Lee Lewis of Colby, as well as her nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Thank you to Dr. Dirk Hutchinson and to the wonderful staff at Presbyterian Manor in Salina for the exemplary and loving care Grace received the final two years of her life.

A Celebration of Grace’s Life will be held at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at Trinity United Methodist Church of Russell with Pastor Earl Haggard officiating. Interment will follow at Bunker Hill Cemetery . Visitation will be from 9:00 AM to 8 :00 PM Tuesday at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell with the family present to greet friends from 6 PM to 7 PM Tuesday evening. A memorial has been established with the Bunker Hill United Methodist Church or organization of your choice. Contributions may be sent in care of Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary who is in charge of these arrangements.