FRED “DON” CHESSER

Fred “Don” Chesser, 79, of Red Level, passed away Tues., Oct. 5, 2010, in the Luverne hospital.

Funeral services are incomplete and will be announced later by Keahey Funeral Home.

JEANNE “MIMI” OPHELIA CHESSER HINTON

Jeanne “Mimi” Ophelia Chesser Hinton, 84, left this earthly world on Sept. 29, 2010. She was born in Seale, Ala., on Sept. 14, 1926, and was a Daytona Beach resident since 1949.

Through-out her life, she positively enhanced the lives of so many including her family, friends, neighbors as a member of Highlands Presbyterian Church, Port Orange First United Methodist Church and the Love Circle; a high priestess of The Ladies Oriental Shrine; president of Palmetto Juniors; Lady Commodear at Halifax River Yacht Club and through numerous other community service organizations.

She began her formal education in Red Level, continued it at the University of Alabama and completed it with a masters degree in home economics education at Florida State University.

As a home economics teacher, she positively enriched the lives of hundreds of students throughout Volusia County, Fla., for 28 years before she retired. She then volunteered for 20 years in her daughter’s primary classrooms.

With a twinkle in her eye, Jeanne would claim she was from “L.A.” – short for Lower Alabama. She represented her heritage by always conducting herself as the epitome of a genteel Southern lady – a real steel magnolia.

She was married to the late John Truitt Hinton for 49 years and was preceded in death by her parents, Lewis V. Chesser and Bessie Cordelia Hicks Chesser; her sister, Gayle Nicholson, and husband, Jerry Nicholson.

She is survived by her brother, the Rev. Lewis V. Chesser and his wife, Maizie Chesser; her children, Dr. Jeanne “Penny” Wetzler and her husband Tom Wetzler, John Truitt Hinton Jr. and his wife, Darlene Hinton, and Kelly Hinton McWilliams and her husband Scott McWilliams; six grandchildren, Katherine Christine Bellin, Miranda Wetzler, John Lewis McEver, Kelsey Hinton, Ashley Beck, James Ian McWilliams and Andrew McWilliams; great-granddaughter, Emerson “Emmi” Bellin, along with numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

Spending time with grandchildren, reading, sewing, knitting, playing the organ, collecting music boxes and porcelain dolls and traveling were favorites among her hobbies.

Visitation will be held Fri., Oct. 8, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Baggett and Summers Funeral Home in Daytona Beach, Fla.

A celebration of life will be held on Sat., Oct. 9, at 10 a.m. at the Port Orange First United Methodist Church, located at 305 Dunlawton Ave, Port Orange, Fla.