Chester (Chet) Tovey Ashby, 90, was born at home on November 6, 1923 in Garland, Utah to James Ralph Ashby and Elizabeth Tovey Ashby. He was the youngest of 12 children. His early childhood years were spent on a farm in Utah, and his later childhood and teenage years were spent on a farm in Nyssa, OR. Except for his years in the Navy, and a year working as a welder at CalShip in California, he spent his entire life farming. Chet felt that farming was a divine calling.
Chet attended Nyssa High School where he was active in sports, especially football and boxing, and was student body treasurer. While in high school he met Lovelle Wheeler at a church dance, and 2 years later married her, his high school sweetheart, April 5, 1942 in Logan LDS Temple. Their first child, J. Roland, was born on July 17, 1943.
One month after his son was born, Chet was drafted into the Navy and was assigned to the 4th JASCO (Joint Assault Signal Company), attached to the 1st Marine Division. He was sent to signaling school at Farragut, Idaho where he learned Morse code and semaphore. His duties included ship-to-ship communication and setting up ground communication in combat. Chet participated in the assaults on the islands of Peleliu and Okinawa.
After the war, using his navy pay, and money he had saved from selling his beer and cigarette rations, Chet bought his first farm in Middleton, ID. Eventually, Chet heard about the Columbia Basin Project in Washington State, and in 1954 took a trip to Washington to see what the basin had to offer. When Chet was on his way to signaling school at Farragut, ID he had traveled on a train through Quincy. He liked what he saw. Chet bought some farm land in the Quincy Valley, cleared the sage brush leveled the ground, dug ditches, planted crops, built a house, and Chet has been farming there ever since.
Chet is survived by his son, Jay (Jean) Ashby of Boise, ID, his son, Scott (Shauna) Ashby of Richland, his daughter, Janelle Swapp of Quincy, 18 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lovelle, his parents, eleven siblings and one grandson, Glen.
Chet was a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served faithfully in many callings. He was a wonderful man, a patriot, a “tinkerer”, an excellent harmonica player, a man of God, a loyal friend, a great dad, and a fun and loving grandfather. He will be greatly missed.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 19, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. with viewing from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Quincy. Dedication of Grave will follow in the Quincy Valley Cemetery.
Please leave a memory for the family or sign their online guestbook at www.scharbachs.com.
Scharbach’s Columbia Funeral Chapel, Quincy, is handling arrangements.