Chester N. Herrington

Locals say the fish in Winston County are swimming a little easier today with the passing of Chester Norris Herrington Sr. of Louisville.

Chester, 95, died on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at The Carrington Nursing Center in Starkville. At the time of his passing, he was the oldest male member of First Baptist Church of Louisville.

A visitation for family and friends is planned from 9-11 a.m. on Sept. 23 at Porter Funeral Home in Louisville. A celebration of life service begins at 11 a.m. followed by burial in Louisville’s Memorial Park Cemetery.

Chester was born on Jan. 31, 1928, in the House community in Neshoba County to James H. Herrington, a bi-vocational Baptist minister and Winston County mail carrier, and Lora Gordon Herrington, a housewife.

The fifth of eight brothers, Chester valued the old and new friendships he made through the years and made it a point to stay connected. Known for his loyalty, talents and humor, he enjoyed recounting stories of his youth, military career and fishing excursions.

Chester was an all-state fullback for Louisville High School and played on the Wildcats’ first state championship team in 1944. After graduation, he continued playing football at East Central Junior College. His gritty gridiron performance and proneness to frequent nose breaks earned him the nickname Hawk, a name many fondly referred to him as throughout life.

While in high school, Chester was recruited into the National Guard and went on to serve his country as a guardsman for nearly 40 years. In 1954, he married Juanita Myres of Attala County, and together they had one son, Checky.

During the Korean War, Chester was stationed in Fort Jackson, S.C., but spent most of his career at the National Guard Armory in Louisville. Trained as a general mechanic, he repaired and maintained a variety of vehicles and equipment, including Jeeps, trucks, tanks and electronics.

He served in the 1st Calvary Division, the 30th Armored Division and the 31st Infantry “Dixie” Division and spent summers participating in training exercises at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg.

In the 1970s, the Armory staff made local headlines when the National Guard transported tanks to Louisville by rail. Onlookers were treated to an unexpected military parade as Chester and fellow guardsmen drove the tanks down Main Street to the Armory.

Chester was proudly patriotic and valued the relationships he developed during his military career. After retiring from the Guard in 1986, he maintained close friendships with fellow servicemen.

Retiring at age 58 gave Chester more time to hone his fishing and hunting skills, and he also discovered a talent for woodworking and furniture restoration. He enjoyed building birdhouses, especially for purple martins and bluebirds, and observing nesting activity in birdhouses throughout his yard. He completed many projects for his family and gave away most of his creations as gifts.

Friends also benefited from his angling habit. Chester loved sharing the bounty of his frequent fishing trips and organized many fish fries for his friends.

One of his favorite traditions was meeting friends for coffee every morning in downtown Louisville, which provided plenty of opportunities for Chester to practice another talent—storytelling. Growing up in Louisville gave him plenty of material as he recounted the people and experiences that enriched his life. “Never met a stranger” is a phrase that fit Chester perfectly. No matter where he went, he greeted everyone as a friend.

Chester loved sharing news and photos of his family, following MSU athletics, and listening to music, especially gospel and country, and kept his CD collection near until the end of his life.

In addition to his parents, Chester was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Juanita M. Herrington, and seven brothers: Charles Herrington, Jim Herrington, Max Herrington, Rufus Herrington, Connice Herrington, Gerald Herrington and Billy Herrington.

He is survived by his son, Checky Herrington, and his wife, Chellie, of Starkville; two grandchildren, Sara Adams (David) of Memphis, Tenn., and Daniel Herrington (Lucila) of Miami Beach, Fla.; four great grandchildren, Hannah Grace and Caleb Adams and Isabella and Valentina Herrington; several nieces and nephews and countless friends.

The family is grateful to the amazing staff at Bee Hive Homes for nine years of encouragement and support of Chester’s cowbell ringing, Bingo winning, junk food eating and lively treks around the center in his motorized chair. Special thanks to the sweet workers at The Carrington and Team Holton Homecare for their love and care for Chester in his final days.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the building fund at Louisville’s First Baptist Church, a congregation that Chester deeply loved.