Olive (Tess) Chester peacefully passed away on January 3, 2025 at the age of 98 in Roselle, IL. Tess was born on August 23, 1926 in Hartville, OH to the late Frank and Hazel Tessmer who were blessed with 8 children; the late Loren (Pete) Tessmer, Ruth Mohler, Homer Tessmer, Harold Tessmer, Ethel Peloso, Doris Holder, and survived by Adalyn Shilling.
Tess lived a full, loving and healthy life, marked by her devotion to her family and her passion for simple pleasures. She enjoyed a successful career in sales and furniture management at Polk Brothers in Melrose Park, IL for over 40 years, where Tess was well-liked and respected by her colleagues. Her work ethic and charisma made Tess a beloved figure in her professional community.
Family was the cornerstone of Tess' life. She was a cherished grandmother who loved spoiling her granddaughters, Danielle DeMint (Chester) and Taylor Fischer (Chester). Danielle and Taylor will hold onto their memories of making Christmas cookies, sleepovers, trips to Kiddie Land and outings to the movie theatre. Grandma Tess was famous for sneaking in bags of popcorn from home filled with apple slices, grapes and m&ms. Christmas Eve's spent at 2412 were filled with shmorgishboargs and endless presents for her granddaughters. Grandma Tess displayed extreme generosity and never let the girls leave without slipping them some cash. She was also a proud great-grandmother to Justin DeMint, Jaxon DeMint & Micah Fischer; as well as a grand-dog-mother to the late Cody, the late Ty and Ccino Marino. Tess' legacy of love, care and the spirit of Christmas will be carried on by her son Michael Chester and daughter-in-law, Lisa Chester (Marino). Tess and her husband Bill instilled admirable qualities in Mike including a strong work ethic, a moral compass and the importance of saving. The three of them shared family memories of camping and visiting family back in Ohio. Tess was fortunate to have wonderful caregivers who cared for her in her home; but her primary caregiver for the last 7 years was Zinaida Khodyreda who means the world to Tess' family.
Those who knew Tess will remember her for her love of taking walks, her joy in spending time with her family, and her special connection with dogs. These simple joys brought immense pleasure to her life and those she shared them with. A private memorial service will be held for the family at a later date to honor Tess' memory and celebrate her special life. Tess Chester will be dearly missed.
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