Chester Thune
Chester Stanley Thune, 93, of Waukon died Saturday, June 22, 2024, at WinnMed in Decorah. Funeral services were held Saturday, June 29 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon with Pastor Bryan Robertson officiating. Burial with military honors was at Big Canoe Cemetery, rural Decorah. Martin-Grau Funeral Home in Waukon handled arrangements.
Chester Stanley Thune was born July 19, 1930, in Spring Grove, MN, the son of Alvin and Julia (Amundson) Thune. He was baptized and confirmed at Big Canoe Lutheran Church in rural Decorah. He attended country school in Highlandville and graduated from Decorah High School in 1948.
Chester enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1951, and proudly served aboard the USS Mindoro through 1954. October 1, 1952, he married Lorna Nelson at Big Canoe Lutheran Church. They shared 68 years together and were blessed with five daughters.
Chester farmed the Thune family farm near Highlandville until physical limitations made it too difficult to continue. He and Lorna then moved the family to Waukon in 1969, where he sold farm machinery and then owned a milk route for a few years. His desire to be on the farm was always there, and when the opportunity to get back into sales was offered, he jumped at the chance. He spent the next twenty years with Dee Implement of Waukon, retiring in 1998.
Chester loved connecting with people wherever he was and in later years, the lobby at Evergreen Court provided many hours of socialization! Chester’s greatest joy was his family and he treasured every moment he spent with them.
Survivors include his daughters: Julie (Dayl) Inglett of Ames, Renee (Michael) Smock of Decorah, Shelly (Rick) Boatwright of Ankeny, Debra (Edward) Arp of Cumming and Jodi (Joseph) Burke of West Des Moines; 13 grandchildren: Patrick (Erika) Inglett, Nicholas Inglett, Stephanie (Pat) Erb, Justin (Deanna) Smock, Erin (Juan) del Cid, Corey (Erin) Smock, Colin (Celia) Boatwright, Lisa (Josh) Funk, Ashley (Derek) Rehm, Lindsey (Alex) Hartogh, Brandon Arp, Hannah Burke, and Ellie Burke; 17 great-grandchildren: Memphis, Greyson, and Malachi Inglett, Hunter and Brooklyn Erb, Ely, Owen, and Isaac Smock, Avery and Abigail del Cid, Emmitt and Sophie Smock, Leah and Jaxon Funk, Russell and Lenora Rehm, and Reid Hartogh, with two more “greats” on the way; his sister-in-law, Helen Thune; his brother-in-law, Darrel Stoen; and many nieces and nephews.
Chester was preceded in death by Lorna in 2021; his parents; two sisters, Esther (Stanley) Griebel and Adeline Thune; his brother, Dean Thune; and a nephew, Eric Thune.
Honorary urnbearers were Chester’s friends at Evergreen Court. His grandchildren served as urnbearers. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
