Chester Beach Barker

Chester “Chet” Barker, 91, beloved husband, father, grand and great-grandfather, brother and friend, passed away on March 22, 2021. He was accompanied in person by his children and in the hearts of many others who loved and prayed for him.

Chester was born on November 15, 1929, in Corning, Iowa, third in line out of six, son of Otho Paul and Nora Barker. He is survived by his brother, John, (Darlene), and sisters, Marge and Carolyn (Melvin).  He was preceded in death by sisters, Bertha and Ethel.

When Chester was six years old, the family moved to Molalla, Oregon in a Model-A car, towing a trailer full of their belongings. They lived for a short time in and near Molalla before settling at the homestead in Elwood, Oregon, in 1941. Chester attended  Elwood’s one-room schoolhouse until high school.  In his senior year, he worked at Lowe’s Sawmill and was the head sawyer until he joined the US Air Force in 1950, just after WWII. While in the military, he completed his high school education, obtaining his Electronic Technician certification.

Chester served in the Air Force from 1950-1959, working on aircraft radios and air navigational aids before joining the 1st Radio Relay Squadron. While stationed in Void, France, Chester met and fell in love with Christiane Louis. They married while still in France and then started their lives stateside in California in late 1955. Soon after, they made their way to Montana where Chester was honorably discharged from the USAF. The family finally landed in Walla Walla in 1959, where they raised their family. Chester and Christiane celebrated 66 years of marriage on March 19, 2021.

After Chester’s military career, he worked for the Federal Aviation Administration for twenty-five years as an electronics technician. He and a co-worker designed an Instrument Landing System (ILS), that allows aircrafts to land in extremely poor weather conditions. Soon after retiring from the FAA, he joined the crew at Walla Walla Electric for over twenty years as their “go-to guy” for anything that needed fixing!

Throughout the years of accomplishments in his careers, Chester and Christiane raised a beautiful family of five wonderful children: Carol (deceased 2017), Francine (Dave) Stanley, LaCrosse, Washington; Debbie (Spike) Teal, Walla Walla; Alain (Brenda) Barker, Walla Walla, and Annette (Jeff) Reister, Woodburn, Oregon. They also have 10 grandchildren and 13 great- grandchildren who affectionately referred to him as "Grandpérè." He was a family man through and through. He loved to build and run his trains with his grandchildren. He enjoyed tinkering with radios and other electronics in his spare time and any time anyone needed the help. Above all else, Chester led his life based on his faith. His faith defined him in his role as a devoted, doting husband and as a father raising children in a Christ-centered home, grounded in his abiding love for God, reaching others for Him through his gentleness, kindness and convictions that showed a man of quiet strength and deep virtue. He was a long-time member of The First Assembly of God church. Chester always carried this Scripture verse close to his heart (and tucked in his wallet), a true depiction of his character, Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow weary in doing good…”

Viewing and Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 from 4:00 until 6:00pm and continuing on April 1, 2021 from 9:00 till 11:00am at the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home.  Graveside services will be held at 1:00pm at the Blue Mountain Memorial Gardens cemetery, 300 SE Myra Rd., College Place, WA 99324

A memorial gathering for family and friends will be held at First Assembly of God church, 1919 Fern Avenue, at 2:00 PM, immediately following the graveside services.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in Chester’s honor, to the Walla Walla Christian Aid Center and the Walla Walla Salvation Army through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder St., Walla Walla, WA 99362

Family and friends are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.herringgroseclose.com