John Clark Lester
John Clark married Mabel Messman in Havana, IL on May 7, 1918.
John served as a cook in the US Army in World War I. He was stationed primarily in San Diego and remained stateside during the war. |
He was a soft spoken man who retired from the US Post Office in Lewistown. Following retirement, he and his wife, Mabel, returned to Havana, IL and opened an upholstery business. He was a craftsman and very good at carpentry.
The couple spent their final years living in a mobile home on their daughter and son-in-law's property (Betty and Ken Gibboney) in Lewistown, IL. John and Mabel were the parents of three children: Robert Page, Betty Jean, and Marianne. |
A Unique Family Heirloom
Starting somewhere between 1860 and 1885, John's grandparents were in possession of a rocking chair, which they eventually passed down to their children. From there, the rocker was slowly passed down again and again from generation to generation, making it the cherished family heirloom that it is today.
The rocker is well documented through photos of various family members sitting in the chair throughout the decades (and centuries), including this photo to the left, which was taken outside the Lester family homestead in Lewistown, IL around 1885. The home still stands today in 2018. The rocker has survived multiple generations, moves, broken spindles and even a flood! In 2018, the rocker was fully restored to its original condition and is back in use. The rocker style is called a 'pressed back' due to its detailed and unique design on the back rest and originated and became popular in the mid-19th century. |