Chester Gary Cravens, Sr., son of the late Bernard Harold Cravens and Syble Marie Hill Cravens, was born on December 23, 1932 in Fisk, Missouri, and departed this life on November 29, 2014 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau at the age of 81.

Mr. Cravens had worked as a plant manager for John's Produce in Campbell, Missouri and was a veteran of the United States Air Force serving during the Korean War.  He was a member of the Dexter VFW and the Dexter Elks Lodge.

On February 17, 1951, he was united in marriage to Marceline Bowman in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Mrs. Cravens survives of the home.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by one son, Chester Gary Cravens, Jr. and his wife Sandy of West Plains, Missouri; by two daughters, Terry Lynn Freeman and her husband Mark of Euclid, Ohio and Janna Kay Schwartz and her husband Brian of Roanoke, Virginia; by two sisters, Shirley Ann Jones of St. Petersburg, Florida and Carolyn Sue Boone and her husband John of Charleston, South Carolina; by six grandchildren, Lauren Freeman, Lindsay Freeman, Jeff Cravens, Ben Cravens, Tasha Roberts and Danielle Harris; and by five great-grandchildren.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by one sister, Jeanette Satterfield.

Friends may call at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 from 12:30 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. 

Funeral services will be conducted in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at 2:00 P.M. with David and Melody Snodgrass officiating. 

Interment will follow in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield.

The family requests that donations be made to the American Heart Association, Greater Midwest Affiliate, Memorials and Tributes Lockbox, 3816 Paysphere Circle, Chicago, Illinois 60674.