Chronister

H. Wendell Chronister, 85, of Portersville passed away peacefully with family by his side Thursday at Evergreen Nursing Center.

Born July 27, 1924, in Warrior Mark, he was the son of Willis Gracier Chronister and Mildred Mae Etters Wills.

He was a member of the Presbyterian Church of Portersville, where he served as a former trustee. He was a member and past president of the Portersville-Muddy Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department.

He was a World War II Army Air Force veteran, who served his country from 1943 to 1946. He was an American Legion member.

Mr. Chronister worked for 20 years at the Mathews Conveyor Co. in Ellwood City. He then worked for Montgomery Ward, formerly in Butler, where he received many awards for selling truck tires. He retired from the Triangle Gas Co. in Butler, where he was a truck driver and worked in the warehouse.

He was a loving father and grandfather. He enjoyed race cars and helping his sons with their race cars. He enjoyed working outside, doing his yard work, watching the birds, and caring for dogs, cats and his fish.

He is survived by two sons, Cal (Jane) Chronister of Portage, Ind., and Randy (Patty) Chronister of Slippery Rock; a daughter, Ginny Lu (Jim) McElhatten of Shermans Dale; grandchildren, Jennifer (Kevin) Robertson, Stacy (Andy) Vecellio, Dale (Stacy Randall) Chronister, and Brian (Tracy) McElhatten; great-grandchildren, Micah and Noah Vecellio, Kayla and Peyton McElhatten; three siblings, Eileen Murray of Warriors Mark, and Janice Lannon and Jimmy Chronister, both of Tyrone.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mabel Virginia Bauder Chronister. They married Aug. 9, 1946, and she died 12 days earlier, Aug. 15, 2009. He also was preceded in death by three brothers and a sister.

<B>CHRONISTER</B> — Family and friends of H. Wendell Chronister, who died Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the <B>Edward L. Raisley Funeral Home</B>, 387 Main St., Prospect.Visitation also will be from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. service at the Presbyterian Church of Portersville with the Rev. Dana Opp., his church pastor, officiating. A committal service will follow graveside at the Portersville Presbyterian Cemetery.Memorial donations can be made to the Portersville Presbyterian Church, PO Box 126, Portersville, PA 16051.For more information or to leave an online condolence go to www.raisleyfuneralhome.com.