- Date Of Death: January 29, 2004
- State: Minnesota
Chester Anton Szklarski passed away on Thursday morning, January 29, 2004 at the Karlstad Healthcare Center due to complications from pneumonia at the age of 72.
Chester was born on April 5, 1931 to Anton and Elizabeth (Kroll) Szklarski. He was born on Easter Sunday, and Easter has only fallen on his birthday one other time since his birth. He grew up in Augsburg Township, east of Stephen, attending country school nearby. He was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith at the Assumption
Church in Florian, MN. On July 10, 1958, Chester was united in marriage to Virginia Ann Dostal at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Badger, MN. They made their home and raised six daughters less than a mile from where Chester grew up near Florian. During the early years of their marriage, Chester farmed and worked for several local farmers. He also worked for Arctic Cat in Thief River Falls for many years. In the early 1980’s, he went to work closer to home at Terog Manufacturing in Stephen. He worked there for over 15 years until his retirement in 1996. He continued to work for them part-time after his retirement, and fully retired in 1999. He moved from his farm to a senior apartment in Karlstad in 1999 and became a resident at the Karlstad Healthcare Center in 2001 where he shared a room with his wife.
Chester was a wonderful father, grandfather and brother. But his greatest quality was his unending devotion to Virginia, his wife of 45 years. Virginia was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1991 at the age of 53, and Chester was a faithful and patient caretaker to her while she was at home and after she entered the nursing home, and finally as her roommate and companion once again at the Karlstad Healthcare Center.
