hmtl5 Lester L. Nighswonger b. 2 Sep 1926 Viola, Sedgwick County, Kansas d. 28 Jan 2024 Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa: McKeown Genealogy

Lester L. Nighswonger

Male 1926 - 2024  (97 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Lester L. Nighswonger 
    Born 2 Sep 1926  Viola, Sedgwick County, Kansas Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Male 
    Died 28 Jan 2024  Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Buried Greenwood Cemetery, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Person ID I1858  McKeown
    Last Modified 9 Dec 2024 

    Father Paul Emerson Nighswonger,   b. 31 Jan 1891, Viola, Sedgwick County, Kansas Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 2 Feb 1965, Kansas Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 74 years) 
    Mother Mary Stinson,   b. 23 Feb 1896, Kansas Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 12 Apr 1971  (Age 75 years) 
    Family ID F598  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 2 Sep 1926 - Viola, Sedgwick County, Kansas Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 28 Jan 2024 - Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Greenwood Cemetery, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Notes 
    • Cedar Falls - Lester L. Nighswonger died Sunday, January 28, 2024, at Western Home Communities Deery Suites.

      He was born on a farm near Viola, Kansas on September 2, 1926, to Paul and Mary (Stinson) Nighswonger. He attended grade school in Viola and graduated from Clearwater KS High School in 1944. Lester served in the US Navy from Aug 1944 to July 1946. On April 11, 1953, Lester was united in marriage to Phyllis Louise Fulk at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Geneseo, IL.

      He attended Sterling College and graduated from Kansas State University with a BS in agricultural engineering in 1950. He took additional studies at Wichita State and Iowa State and was a registered professional mechanical engineer in Iowa.

      Lester worked as a design engineer for six years at John Deere Harvester Works and four years at Beech Aircraft. He then worked at John Deere Product Engineering Center in Waterloo, Iowa retiring in 1987. After retiring, he worked part time for Diedrich Associates in Cedar Falls for twelve years.

      Lester worked as a volunteer engineer with US aid projects through VOCA and International Service Corps in Pakistan, Moldova and India. Volunteering to help others was important to Lester. Many hours were spent with Habitat for Humanity, the food bank and friends.

      He served the United Presbyterian Church as deacon, trustee, elder, and mission volunteer for two years with Phyllis across the US. He served on the Habitat for Humanity construction board, and boy scout troop committee, was member of the society of automotive engineers, ag engineers, professional engineers.

      Lester is survived by his wife, Phyllis of Cedar Falls; his son, Doel (Diana) in Pocahontas, IA; his daughter, Nancy Ohnesorge in Saint Joseph, MO; grandchildren, Tara (Mike Bland) and Nathan Nighswonger, and Katherine (Von Huber) Ohnesorge and Jennifer (Max Baumann) Ohnesorge; four great-grandchildren, Bo, Ensley, Hattie, and Scout; his sister, Pat (Jack) Kirby of Georgetown, TX; and his brother, Roger (Linda) Nighswonger of Houston, TX.

      He was preceded in death by son-in-law, Chuck Ohnesorge, his brother, Doel Nighswonger, and his sister, Lois Butterfield. [1, 2]

  • Sources 
    1. [S8] Find a Grave.

    2. [S3] Obituary.