Chester, John Needels (1864-1955) | Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Born 24 Sep 1864 in Groveport, Ohio to Hubert Chester and Melvina Sophia Needles. Moved to Champaign County, Illinois, with his family in 1865.

Graduated University of Illinois 1891 with a degree in engineering, earned his professional degree in civil engineering in 1909 and his master's from UIUC in 1911. Member of the Society of Mechanical Engineers and member and past president of the Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania.  Member and Vice President of the American Society of Civil Engineering and won the George Warren Fuller award of the American Water Works Association for distinguished service in the field of water works supply.  founded the company of Chester and Fleming Engineers in Pittsburgh, which became Chester Engineers after Fleming's death.  Was a director of the University of Illinois Foundation. Died 1 Nov 1955 in Urbana, Illinois, after a 7 year illness. Buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Urbana, Illinois.

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=uialumni&id=I633, University of Illinois Alumni 1872-1911, accessed 10/12/06.

http://64.107.115.148/ccha/records/05040003/05040003001.htm, Mt. Hope Cemetery Records, accessed 10/12/06.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~shep/needels/I3241.html, Hubert Chester genealogy, accessed 10/12/06.

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?ti=0&indiv=try&db=1870usfedcen&h=16547086, 1870 U.S. Federal Census Record, accessed 10/12/06.

Obituary, Champaign-Urbana News Gazette, Nov. 1, 1955, p. 25, Urbana Free Library Archives.