Everett B. Chesney
Marriages
Anna Belle Lamb - August 19, 1939
Obituaries
Steamboat Today - November 8, 2009
Everett B. Chesney passed away Oct. 24. He was born May 18, 1915, in Lincoln, Neb., to Thomas Benjamin Chesney and Sarah Jane Lake Chesney. He was raised in Boulder and graduated from the Boulder Preparatory School, now Boulder High School. He graduated from the University of Colorado. He earned seven letters, four in track and three in basketball. He held records in the 100- and 220-yard dashes and was conference champion in the 440-yard dash. He met the love of his life, Anna Belle Lamb, in college, and they both graduated with degrees, Ev in education and geology and Anna Belle in education and music. They were married in her parents’ living room in Brush on Aug. 19, 1939. They took their honeymoon in Steamboat Springs, where they both went on to teach school. Ev coached football, basketball and track, then joined the Navy in 1942 where he trained recruits. He received a commission as a lieutenant and was a gunnery officer on a tanker. They were fueling an aircraft carrier off the coast of Japan when the A-bomb stopped the war.
After the war, Ev worked with the Veteran’s Administration and eventually took a job with Yampa Valley Electric Association in Steamboat as manager of community development. Skiing and ski jumping were primary activities, so, with his friend, John Fetcher, an engineer, they improved the jumping hill, developed several water projects and assisted with starting a junior college.
These activities lasted until 1966, when Ev became general manager of Morgan County Rural Electric Association in Fort Morgan. During his 20 years with MCREA, he engaged in the following professional activities: 20-year director and board member for the Colorado Power Council and president for a year; 15-year director and board member for Tri-State Generation and Transmission Company, with 12 of those years as president; one of the founders and president for Western Fuels Associates; president and member of the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association for five years; appointed by presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter to the Coal Industry Advisory Council.
His civic activities during his time in Fort Morgan included president of the Chamber of Commerce, director and board member for the Western States Water and Power Consumers, and memberships in many civic groups.
His professional honors included selection by Gov. John Arthur Love as a participant in the Ambassador Program for the Colorado Rural Development Commission; recipient of the Gold Transformer Award from the Electric Industry; Distinguished Service Award from the Colorado Power Council; and one of 50 in the United States that were selected to go to China as part of the People to People Rural Development Program.
Upon his retirement in 1983, he was asked to become general manager for Union REA in Brighton to steer the transition of the airport service territory from the REA to Public Service Company.
This project lasted for three years, at which time Ev and Anna Belle moved to Arizona to enjoy a retirement of golfing, traveling and fast friendships with friends and neighbors.
He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Anna Belle, and his son and daughter-in-law, Tom and Susan Chesney, of Loveland. He also is survived by four grandchildren, Keri (Dan) Jenkins, of Grand Junction; Kendra (David) Lohmeyer, of San Marcos, Calif.; Heath (Misty) Chesney, of Arvada; and Tanner Chesney, of Boston. He was preceded in death by a son, James W. Chesney, and a daughter, Lou Ann Brown.
Ev lifted up all those around him and brought out the best in them.
The highest compliment that can be paid to him is for any parent to want their son or daughter to grow up and be like him.
No local services are planned at this time.
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