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Memorial Services for Michael Chesler, 90, of Jefferson, will be 10:00am Saturday August 21 at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home in Jefferson, with interment at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Visitation with the family is at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home from 7:00 – 9:00pm Friday, with an 8:30pm Prayer Service.
Michael Chesler was born July 19, 1914 in Eveleth Minnesota. On October 30th of 1937 he and Christine Scelonge were married in Chicago, Illinois. They raised 4 children; Sheila Towers (George) of Carroll, Iowa, Micheline Carrick (Tom) of Elkhorn, Nebraska, Ronald Chesler (Pam Monthei) of Longmont, Colorado and Roger Chesler (Teresa McCoy) of Jefferson, Iowa. When his family left their farming community in Minnesota, he as a young man did factory work in Chicago, Illinois during the depression. That began his career as a mechanical engineer. He also worked and lived in Duluth, Minnesota and Springfield, Illinois. In 1960, he and his family came to Jefferson. He was in charge of setting up the Franklin Manufacturing Company. At Franklin he manufactured washing machine transmissions, a transmission he designed. Some years later he went to Finland for the Stud Baker Company and received the U.S. patents for manufacturing “tire studs” and brought that manufacturing to Jefferson. He then designed a better “tire stud” and started his own business. He next designed and automated a machine to manufacture “wheel weights”. During the 1960’s, he received his pilot’s license and owned and flew his airplane from the Jefferson airport for several years. He retired from the business world in 1982. He and his wife traveled for many years, with their RV, to Texas in the winter and to Minnesota in the summer. He enjoyed his winters in Texas perfecting his skills in woodworking and crafting many beautiful pieces of furniture for himself and for his family. During their summers in Minnesota he loved to fish and perfected and “tweaked” fishing gear to insure catching the “big ones” while fishing on the big lake, Lake Superior. When they “retired” from traveling they stayed home in Jefferson where he could be found in his garage making many other pieces of lovely furniture as well numerous items he found to be a challenge. There is not one family member or good friend that hasn’t been gifted with one or more of his creations. He was able to spend his last years in his home assisted by the worlds “BEST” group of caregivers and his grateful and devoted family. His four children, 9 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren survive him as well as many nieces and nephews. His wife, Christine preceded him in death in 1998. He was the surviving member of his family of 3 brothers and 4 sisters.
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