Chester Johnson

Chester H. Johnson, 85, passed away on May 6, 2013 at Amberwood Care Center, Denver, CO, where he had been a resident due to dementia. The oldest of six children, Chester was born to Chester and Pearl Johnson in Mullen, NE, on Feb. 26, 1928. He was baptized in the Methodist Church, where in later years he became the organist. Chester graduated from Mullen High School in 1946, and from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1950, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity. After college, he had Johnson Furniture Store in Mullen for several years. Later, Chester managed the Ft. Sidney Motor Hotel in Sidney, NE, which was a new ”concept” in those days. Later, he moved to Denver where he worked as an interior designer. Always an innovative entrepreneur, in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s Chester owned one of the first stores in the Larimer Square area, “Maudie’s: The Incredible Department Store.” Quite a hit, the store soon opened branches on college campuses in Phoenix, Kansas City, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Denver University, as well as other places. Chester also was an antique dealer, and had a special sense of recognizing the valuables at garage sales! He owned “Chester’s Closet,” which was filled with turn of the century items. Additionally, for twenty years, in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area he owned several “As Is” stores. A lover of art and design, Chester was a collector of “Paint by Number” paintings and had over 1,000 in his collection. He was featured in the Denver Post in 1998 with his collection. Music was always a big part of his life. An avid pianist, even in the nursing home he still frequently played the piano and sang for the other residents. His numerous nieces and nephews recall the music-playing circus calliope that he owned and often entertained with at family events. His “player” piano and hundreds of rolls of music were a constant source of fascination and amusement at parties. He was devoted to his large extended family, always showering them with gifts, including his unique garage sale finds. He was preceded in death by both of his parents and his brother, Donald. He is survived by siblings Lola Schadwinkel (Alliance, NE), Eleanor Weber(Denver), Bill R. Johnson(Madison, TX), and Pat Wallingford(Denver), and ten nieces and nephews and their families. A memorial service will be held on May 30 at 3:30 p.m. followed with a “Celebration of Life,” where those who knew him are invited to share memories of Chester. Please email your rsvp to [email protected] to receive the address. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation: www.Alzfdn.org