Chester Carl "Check" Reeves

Chester Carl “Check” Reeves, of Thornton, passed away at Mexia LTC, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at age 82.

There will be Visitation at Groesbeck Funeral Home beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, 2024.

Funeral services will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, 2024, in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor Marshall Johnston of the Lake Limestone Baptist Church officiating.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Justin Grimes, Jody Ward, Garrett Ferguson, Hunter Grimes, Doug Yarbrough, John Banks Campbell, Randall Crane and Danny Sherrod.

Chester, known to many as “Check” was born October 3, 1942, at Box Church, to Finis Ray Reeves and Madelyn Elizabeth (Dawley) Reeves. He grew up in the Old Union community and attended school at Thornton, where he played on the 6-man Thornton Tigers team (and the family still has his letterman jacket.) 

 Chester was united in marriage with Betty A. Solley on July 18, 1981, at the Old Union Church of Christ. They met while he was clearing her parents’ lake lot when he was a self-employed bulldozer and backhoe operator clearing lots at Lake Limestone.

Chester was a boilermaker, employed in construction work at power plants with many companies, including Brown and Root, Zachary, Big Brown and others. He travelled all over the United States and the Virgin Islands in his work. He later worked as an equipment operator for Danny Sherrod. He finally retired but continued to enjoy being out on his tractor and helping his son bale hay. He was a good handyman who could fix anything, and he loved to help anybody. He stayed busy with welding and making projects that were useful. He always had a “better way” that was his own special way to do anything. He would say: “Let me tell you what I’ve got on my mind” leading into the next project he was planning.

He loved to play “42,” and at home, he loved to watch old Westerns, although he knew most of the words on the shows, but he never did sit still for long.

Chester and Betty loved to travel, going every summer to Colorado or out west. He loved the mountains and loved the ocean, and eating seafood. After he retired in 2014, they continued to do a lot of travelling. His health had started to fail in the last few years but he continued to do pretty good. He and Betty made a trip to Galveston two weeks ago, where he got to enjoy the seafood and the “clear blue water,” before he became very ill, making this his last trip. 

Chester was a member of the Lake Limestone Baptist Church, where he was baptized years ago. 

Chester was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Finis “Snow” Reeves, sister, Jeannette “Cootsie” Cox, and sister, Martha Van Dyke.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Reeves of Thornton; sister, Nellie Pauline “Jane” Yarbrough of Thornton; daughter and son-in-law, Carla Kay and Tim Van Harten of Kerrville; son, Billy Ray Reeves of Shiloh; son and daughter-in-law, Kevin Jay and Rebecca Reeves of Thornton; daughter and son-in-law, Traci Elizabeth and Justin Grimes of Hutto. His grandchildren are: Hunter and Logan Grimes of Hutto, Brittany Reeves of Thornton, Kyle Reeves of Groesbeck, Chelsey and Jody Ward of Thornton, and Katie and Garrett Ferguson of Lost Prairie; and 6 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.