Dwayne Chickering

Harry Dwayne Chickering, one of three children of Harry Clayton Chickering and Doris Lorene (Eyerly) Chickering, was born in Madison County, Iowa on December 28, 1940. Dwayne attended school in Macksburg, Iowa and graduated with the Class of 1959.
Dwayne and Sharon Kay Fitzgerald of Truro, Iowa were married at the Congregational Christian Church in Truro on October 17, 1964. They made their first home in Slater, Iowa where Dwayne worked for the Graham Telephone Service. They soon moved to Truro where Dwayne became a maintenance worker for the John Deere Manufacturing plant in Ankeny, Iowa. Dwayne served his community by operating the City Water Treatment Plant, snow removal, street maintenance, and reading water meters. He served as fire chief of the Truro Volunteer Fire Department and helped the community wherever needed. While living in Truro, Dwayne and Sharon's marriage was blessed with three children, Todd D., Carrie Lynn, and Clayton Lee. Dwayne later took a job as an iron worker in Des Moines.
In 1968, Dwayne began work for the Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America as a maintenance worker in their Truro plant. He was promoted to Assistant Foreman and transferred to the Hastings, Iowa pumping station in 1978. The family moved to Malvern, Iowa and became active members of the community. Dwayne was a member of the Malvern United Methodist Church and a 15 year member of the Malvern Volunteer Fire Department where he served as captain for a portion of those years. He supported the community, school activities, and the Boy Scout Troop. Along with the Scoutmaster and other scouting fathers, Dwayne accompanied the Malvern troop on a high adventure trip to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Each year he volunteered to help display the Avenue of American Flags at the Malvern Cemetery for the Memorial Day observance. He loved his family, enjoyed giving his grandchildren tractor rides, had a good sense of humor and was a great storyteller. His other enjoyments included camping, Nascar racing, and Ford automobiles.
Dwayne retired from the gas company in 1996 and had since worked during planting and harvest season for area farmers. He was always willing to share his all-around handyman abilities and talents wherever needed.
Dwayne and Sharon were planning to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary, when Dwayne suffered a heart attack in their Malvern home on October 8, 2004. He died a short time later at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa at the age of 63 years, nine months, and ten days. Still helping others, Dwayne's eyes and other tissues were donated to the Iowa Donor Network.
Dwayne was preceded in death by his parents, Doris and Harry Chickering and stepfather Ray Schultz. He is survived by his wife Sharon Chickering of Malvern, Iowa; children Todd Chickering and wife Ann and their daughters Brooklyn Marie Chickering and Kinley Kay Chickering of Malvern, Carrie Deel and husband Christopher and their sons Colby Grant Deel and Carter Blake Deel of Castle Rock, Colorado, and Clay Chickering of Council Bluffs, Iowa; brother Marvin Chickering and his wife Iola of Algona, Iowa; sister Marilyn Hughes and her husband Larry of Macksburg, Iowa; mother-in-law Evelyn Fitzgerald of Malvern; brother-in-law Ron Fitzgerald and his wife Sherry of Las Vegas, Nevada; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.