Funeral services for Chester Harold Gardner, 99 year-old Hydro, Oklahoma resident, were held Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at the First Baptist Church with Matt Wyatt, Truman Smith, and Joe Sanders officiating. Burial was at Hydro Masonic Cemetery under the direction of Lockstone Funeral Home.

Chester was born November 20, 1916, to William Harvey and Sarah Edna (Snyder) Gardner of Hydro, Oklahoma. He passed away on December 19, 2015, at his home in the loving care of his daughter at the age of 99 years and 29 days. Chesters parents were pioneers in western Oklahoma and homesteaded in the Hydro area at a time when the landscape depicted beautiful tallgrass prairies.

Chester was active in the Hydro First Baptist Church and the Huber Street Missionary Baptist Church. His faith in Jesus Christ and support from his large extended family saw him through many tragedies; at age three he lost his 46 year old father during the Spanish Flu epidemic; just three years later at age 6 he watched his 32 year old mother pass away on Christmas Day of a mastoid ear infection. He also had to bury his 19 year old son, the victim of an automobile accident. Chester didnt use these trials as an excuse to turn away from God. Instead, he continued to love and honor God as sovereign and believed His promises would be faithfully carried out.

Chester attended Riverview Country School north of Hydro through the 8th grade. At age 19 while he was attending church, Vivian Susie Goodpasture caught his eye. The couple courted for two years and then married on April 24, 1937, at the courthouse in Arapaho. They began their lives together with the purchase of the Tucker Farm, 6 miles south of Hydro and worked side-by-side to make a modest living providing fresh cream and eggs to local grocers. In 1944, they purchased the McCullock Farm plus an additional 80 acres located 2 miles south of Hydro. Over the next decade they raised cattle, corn, wheat, cotton, and were blessed with three children. While continuing to farm and ranch, Chester also worked at McPhearson Rock Quarry and Fort Reno where he farmed government land and cared for livestock. Chester and Vivian always found great satisfaction working together. After retiring from 20 years of service to the Oklahoma Highway Department, Chester began working with Vivian at the Maple Lawn Manor where he provided facilities and ground maintenance. Then, together, they officially retired in 1987. The couple would eventually celebrate 72 years of marital love and devotion.

Two of Chesters favorite past times were traveling and watching sports. From the Canadian Rockies to the sunsets of Mexico, he and Vivian logged 135,000 miles on their Winnebago while visiting family and friend across the central and western United States. Chester enjoyed sports and as a teenager was once the fastest athlete at the county track meet. Between ages 93 - 98 alone, Chester watched his great-grandchildren play in over 50 athletic events in Oregon and another handful in Hydro.

He is survived by his oldest son Harvey Gardner of Gladstone, Oregon; daughter Judy and her husband Jerry of Hydro, Oklahoma and daughter-in-law Billie Anne Hargrave of Portland, Oregon. Also surviving are nine grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild on the way; Thad and Pamela Gardner, Hayley and Brooke; Michael and Shannon (Gardner) Hoover, Halston and Garrett; Jawna Gardner; Brent and Nyree (Gardner) Zaemann, Parker, Jordan and Raegan; Lance and A.J. Gardner, Ella and Lucas; Heath and Shelley Gardner, Reese and Harper all of Portland, Oregon; Jerry Morgan, Jr. of Ponca City; Joe and Ginger (Morgan) Exinia, and Taylor, Aaron and Kaylee (Exinia) Schantz and baby-on-the way; and Vance Morgan all of Hydro. Also surviving is one nephew, Joe Fred Lubinus and wife Diane of Hydro and a niece, Jacqueline Lubinus of Tulsa. Preceding him in death were his parents, wife, youngest son, Darryl Dean, and sister Hazel (Gardner) Lubinus.

The Family requests that donations be made to the Hydro Fire Department--First Reponders