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Gerald Kester

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Gerald Kester

Birth	:	17 Sep 1917 Cory, Clay County, Indiana, USA
Death	:	7 Jan 2015 Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana, USA
Burial	:	Oak Hill Cemetery, Riley, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate	:	39.3894005, -87.2624969
Description	:	Gerald Kester, of Terre Haute, formerly of Cory, died July 1, 2015. He was born Sept. 17, 1917, in Cory, to Rudolph and Goldie Shaw Kester. Gerald was raised on the family farm outside Cory with his identical twin, Harold, and six other brothers and sisters. He and Harold won first prize at the State Fair for their Poland China Hog. They sometimes earned money for the family by working on neighbors’ farms. They graduated from Cory High School in 1936 and went on to Purdue University, taking Bacholor of Science degrees in Agriculture, sometimes sitting in for each other... Read More	Gerald Kester, of Terre Haute, formerly of Cory, died July 1, 2015. He was born Sept. 17, 1917, in Cory, to Rudolph and Goldie Shaw Kester. Gerald was raised on the family farm outside Cory with his identical twin, Harold, and six other brothers and sisters. He and Harold won first prize at the State Fair for their Poland China Hog. They sometimes earned money for the family by working on neighbors’ farms. They graduated from Cory High School in 1936 and went on to Purdue University, taking Bacholor of Science degrees in Agriculture, sometimes sitting in for each other in classes because they were tired and overbooked from working multiple jobs to pay for school. Both became vocational agricultural teachers, Gerald working in Merrillville and Harold at Brownstown. At the end of their first year of teaching, each was drafted into the Army, where both entered the U.S. Army Air Corps. On Sept. 20, 1942, Harold died in a training accident in Alabama while flying the infamous “flying coffin” B-24 airplane. Gerald gave the eulogy at his funeral to an overflowing, and tearful, crowd at the Cory Methodist Episcopal church. Gerald went on to get his wings as a pilot of the B-17 and fly 50 missions over Europe, the first 27 with the 8th Air Force out of England and the remaining 23 with the 15th Air Force out of Italy. Before he left for Europe, his sister received a letter from a woman in Oklahoma whose daughter had known Harold while he was training at Chikashaw, Okla. It included a poem, “Somewhere, Somehow,” that her daughter, Valda, had written for the brides who had lost their husbands in the war. Gerald wrote the young lady and she replied. At the end of the War, Dec. 1, 1945 they were married by the chaplain of the Senate, Frederick Brown Harris, in Washington, D.C., witnessed by his sister Jo. Her husband, Bud Staggs, who was stationed at Annapolis, stood up as his best man. Gerald went on to get a Masters in Agriculture at Ohio State University and then a position in Ohio, near Columbus, working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His two children, Jeanie Nicola and Keith Marcus, were born there. Because of Valda’s frail health, he was given a transfer to Arizona, where he researched, mapped, and wrote the definitive Soil Survey for Navajo County. He was promoted to assistant state soil scientist for the State of Arizona, a position he held for four years. He next went to Escondido, Calif., where he led the soil survey for that county until he was able to live one of his dreams, to live and work overseas. For five years he and Valda lived in Bellary, India, where Gerald was part of India’s Green Revolution, teaching Indian colleagues how to preserve precious water in the agriculture of the high Deccan plateau of central South India. On his return, he worked for a year in Susanville, Calif., and then retired to the home farm where he was raised. Gerald and Valda were active in the Methodist church wherever they went, serving in many offices and roles. They loved to travel, and Gerald was proud of his life as a “globetrotter,” in his later years showing all his guests his list of the many countries he had visited. He was also a writer. In addition to his monumental Soil Survey, he wrote a screenplay of Grant’s siege and capture of Vicksburg. In his final years, he wrote "The 11th Airman: a Love Story" about Harold’s life in the military and his relationship with Valda, the young co-ed whom Gerald later married. In this book, he writes about an experience he had near the end of the war, in which he saw his deceased twin, Harold,sitting next to him in a cockpit. Harold gave him a thumbs up and said “We made it.” Gerald has since referred to death as only “the great divide” and declared that he was not afraid of it. Those who preceded across that “great divide,” in addition to his parents, his brother, Harold, and his wife, Valda, are his brothers, Kermit Kester of Cory, and Billy of Tampa, Fla.; and his sisters, Jackie Dishon, Dorothy Price and Dolores Sparks, all of Cory. He is survived by his sister, Jo Kester of Libbey, Mont.; son, Keith Marcus Kester of Cory; daughter, Jeanie Kester McElwain of Spencer; son-in-law, Paul McElwain of Spencer; nieces, Frances Sparks of Fillmore and Vicki Hofmann of Terre Haute; nephew Kermit Sparks of Terre Haute; and by numerous nephews and nieces in Indiana and elsewhere. Viewing and services will be at Oak Hill Community Church in Riley at 10055 S. Indiana 46, Thursday, July 9. Viewing will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Service will be at 11 a.m. A reception will immediately follow the service. The church is handicapped accessible.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Gerald Kester's memorial?
Gerald Kester's memorial is located at: Oak Hill Cemetery, Riley, Vigo County, USA.
When did Gerald Kester death?
Gerald Kester death on 7 Jan 2015 in Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Gerald Kester's memorial?
Latitude: 39.3894005
Longitude: -87.2624969

Family Members:

Parent

Rudolph Benjamin Kester

(1879 - 1966)

Goldie E. Shaw Kester

(1889 - 1984)

Spouse

Valda Kathleen Dowdy Kester

(1923 - 2006)

Siblings

Dorothy Rose Kester Price

(1907 - 2002)

James Kermit Kester

(1915 - 1978)

2LT Harold Kester

(1917 - 1942)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Oak Hill Cemetery
Riley, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3894005, -87.2624969

2. McMasters Cemetery
Riley, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3929920, -87.2814240

3. Green Cemetery
Riley, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3978010, -87.2870240

4. Donham Cemetery
Riley Township, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4134200, -87.2597900

5. Jones Cemetery
Riley, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3753870, -87.2907220

6. Old Thompson Cemetery
Riley Township, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3629000, -87.2662000

7. Tucker Family Cemetery
Cory, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3850900, -87.2280800

8. Lone Hill Cemetery
Riley, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4137750, -87.2885860

9. Hixon Cemetery
Cory, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3757930, -87.2207160

10. Cooper Cemetery
Riley, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4262700, -87.2783460

11. Mewhinney Cemetery
Riley, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4267006, -87.2481003

12. Staggs Cemetery
Cory, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3602982, -87.2118988

13. Rardin South Cemetery
Cory, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4168080, -87.2102430

14. Liberty Cemetery
Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3542940, -87.3068850

15. Swarts Cemetery (Defunct)
Riley Township, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3899490, -87.3289200

16. Turner Scofield Cemetery
Seelyville, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4403954, -87.2492294

17. Ray Cemetery
Riley, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3887825, -87.3411484

18. Miner Cemetery
Keller, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3683014, -87.3364029

19. Conway Cemetery
Cory, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4060860, -87.1863403

20. Twin Groves Cemetery
Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3199850, -87.2567760

21. Rhule Cemetery
Brazil, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4441986, -87.1971970

22. Swalls Cemetery
Terre Haute, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4627991, -87.2956009

23. Smith Cemetery
Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3689003, -87.3597031

24. Ripley Cemetery
Terre Haute, Vigo County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4484138, -87.3292923