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Chester "Chet" Lee

Lead Summary

Chester A. Lee, age 97, of Benson, passed away on Monday, August 28, 2017, at Gabriel House in Murdock.  Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, August 31, 2017, at Assembly of God Church in Benson.  Visitation will continue from 10-11 a.m., followed by the funeral at 11 a.m., Friday, September 1, 2017, at the church.  Arrangements handled through Zniewski Funeral Home, Benson.
 
Chester Arlon Lee was born on June 17, 1920, at his home in Benson Township, the son of Christian and Inga (Peterson) Lee.  He grew up on the family farm, attended Lake Hazel and District 15 and 52 country schools and Benson Public Schools.  On June 14, 1947, Chester was united in marriage to Audrey Lavonne Beck and they were married for 61 years.  They made their home on the Lee farm near Lake Hazel, were blessed to raise four children, and in their retirement years moved to Benson.  
 
In recent years, Chester was a resident at Scofield Place in Benson and Gabriel House in Murdock.  He was an active lifelong member of the Benson Assembly of God Church where he served as a board member, taught the adult Sunday School class, and often sang duets with Audrey.  Each summer he attended Family Bible Camp services held at Lake Geneva Christian Center in Alexandria from the camp’s beginnings in 1927 through 2014, every year for 87 years.  Chet and Audrey served together in Gideons International for many years; Chet spoke in several area churches representing the Gideons Int’l group.  Together, they did volunteer ministry at Meadow Lane Health Care Center for 25 years, holding weekly Sunday morning church services for residents.  They enjoyed participating in the community activities in many ways: adult 4-H leaders, Meals on Wheels delivery, MCCL, and Writing Club.  Chester enjoyed wood-working, reading, and listening to classical, choral, and gospel music.  He recounted many stories in vivid detail from his earliest boyhood days of doing field work with horse drawn equipment, working with harvest crews, decades of farm equipment, and the many people he worked with in the Lake Hazel farming area. 
 
He is survived by his four children, Arlon (Lena) Lee of Benson, Arvid (Nancy) Lee of Burnsville, Phyllisyed Ruud of Brainerd, and Renae (Darrell) Gronli of St. Louis Park; thirteen grandchildren, Alan Lee, Machelle (Keith) Hall, Timothy (Helen) Lee, Amy Jopp, Rachel (Dan) Colestock, Brent Lee, Darren (Allison) Lee, Kyle Lee, Becca (Nic) Young, Melissa (Kent) Johnson, Nathan Gronli, Krista Gronli, and Laura (Jeff) Feigal; and great-grandchildren, Alexander and Nicolas Lee, Elizabeth Jopp, Ruby, Tessa and Calvin Lee, and Nicodemus, Thaddeus, Noella, Adelia, Penelope, and Olive Young.  Also, many nieces and nephews, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
 
He was preceded in death by his parents, Christian and Inga Lee; step-mother, Edythe (Nelson) Lee; his wife, Audrey, in 2008; four sisters, Lillian Syverson, Josie Adamson, Evelyn Krueger, Irene Edberg, and an infant step-sister, Crystalle; also, several brothers-in-law and other relatives.
 
Please sign the guest book at www.zniewskifuneralhome.com .
 

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