Mrs. Chesser, was my 4th grade teacher from 1990 - 1991.  I will remember her taking the class on a tour of her home inside & outside when she lived in that house across the road in front of the Waldron Methodist Church,  making homemade butter, & homemade bar soap.   I will also remember her the reading to the class everyday & then when she finished the book we watched the movie about the story she just read to class & told the class the book tells more than the movie from what I remember saying.  She was a great teacher to have & she will truly be missed. 

She believed in me when others didn’t. She made me feel like I could accomplish anything.  My thoughts and prayers are with her friends and family. 

Condolences to the family during this time. Mrs. Chesser was my 3rd grade teacher in Waldron. She had an amazing heart for students. Nowadays, you don’t find many people like her in this world. She was definitely a light in the darkness. I’ve ran into her and her husband over the years, and I’d always say hello. She will be missed.

Oh, Mrs. Chesser... You are loved and will always be one of my favorite people. You saw me and were interested in me. You encouraged me. You helped me to understand that I had a voice and value. I came to know and believe in myself in the 4th grade in your classroom. I fell in love with books due to your love for them. In your class you read us, "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" from "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Anne of Green Gables" (still my 2 favorite books!). In your class I won my first ever contest (robots!). In your class I learned that you were my kindred spirit. You wrote me letters for years on your pretty gray checked stationary. You visited my home for my mom's homemade spaghetti dinner. You were the kindest, most present and intentional person that I had ever met up to that point in my life. You made such an impact on me and my life that I named my daughter after you and my mom, Mazie Judith. Thank you for loving me. You will be missed, but the way you shaped young lives is a legacy that I know brings so much joy to our Heavenly Father. 

Thank you William for sharing these memories with us.  Please accept my husband’s and my condolences to you, your Father Lewis, your brother Wib and sister Dawn for your loss.  Miss Mazie was a wonderful woman.  As friends of Wib’s from the East, we were virtually strangers to your mother and father when they took  my children and I into their house for the day, shared so many wonderful memories with us, fed us and treated us virtually as family.  We have treasured the memory since.  Your Mother was a wonderful lady and will be missed.

Stephanie Hamel

Mrs. Chesser was my 4th grade elementary math teacher when I was in Waldron. She was by far my favorite teacher growing up & I’ve always remembered her throughout my years. 
I remember her smile & compassion for her students. She will be greatly missed!! 
My condolences to the family. 

I called her "Mom."  In African American culture the highest honor you can give someone is to address them as a member of your family.  I lost my mother at 4 years old and for a time she filled that hole in my life.

Mazie was one the most kind ladies I’ve ever known. She was very special to me, as well as Lewis. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. 

We all lived far away from one another, so I didn't see Aunt Mazie much. Even so, when we would meet up, she was never a stranger. She had an ease about her, a kindness, and a joy for life that always reminded me of our beloved grandma. I was always struck by the respect and love she and Uncle Lewis had for one another. You could tell how much they valued each other. One of my favorite memories is of Grandma Clara, dad (Bill), Aunt Mazie and Aunt Annie all sitting on Grandma's bed laughing, sharing their childhood stories and just enjoying their time together.  I had walked in and was allowed to sit and enjoy their fun. The joy in Aunt Mazie's eyes was so beautiful and her laughter was honest. She loved her family deeply. I always remember that glimpse into their enjoyment and love for one another as siblings with their mother. Aunt Mazie, you brought peace, love and a sense of wellbeing wherever you went. I love you. -Keri
To my beautiful cousins, I love you and send my deepest condolences. Praying for your strength.

Mazie was an amazing individual, so full of enthusiasm and laughter.  Many fond memories of her as well as all of the Chesser family have remained with me over the many years since I was at U of A Wesley Foundation when William was just 3 years old.  Those years will always be treasured. Mazie was a most dedicated mom, wife and fellow human being who expressed such compassion and love towards everyone around her.  We miss not having had the chance to meet up again with her after all these years.

Mrs. Chesser was a rock to me at a pivotal point in my convoluted childhood.  I will never forget her love and encouragement. She made a lasting impact on my life. I am forever grateful! Love and prayers to her family and friends. ❤️ 

  Aunt Maizie wanted to learn how to cook all of Uncle Lewis’s favorite dishes that his mother always cooked. When the Arkansas Chessers met up with the Florida Chessers at Grandmother and Grandfather Chesser’s home in Alabama for Thanksgiving, the cooking lessons would take place in Grandmother’s kitchen! All the ladies would happily laugh and cook Thanksgiving dinner while Grandmother shared recipe favorites such as Butternut Cake. Aunt Maizie was always busily trying to write down the directions and measurements like “a pinch” or “about this much”! She wanted to get it right for Uncle Lewis, the ultimate family recipe critic!
   We will miss the joy Aunt Maizie brought to all of our Chesser family get 
togethers and the quiet love she shared with all present. She was a woman ahead of her times, a Christian, a fabulous teacher and pianist, a loving mother, wife, grandmother and friend to everyone she ever met!
   We love you Aunt Maizie, and every time we bake a Butternut Cake, we will eat a slice in your honor! 💗💕🙏xoxo
Love,
The Florida Chessers
Penny, Tom, KC, Miranda and the 7 great nieces and nephews 💗💗💗💗💗💙💙

Well said, William. To you, your Dad, Wib, Dawn, and the grandchildren, we send love. Guy and I are talking about our great visits with your parents. Mazie was one of a kind, no doubt. We shared a friendship that included family and church talks, Vietnamese food, and reading interests; I like to think I introduced her to Pat Conroy. The Water is Wide was another version of Mazie's life! Also about her teaching life, Conroy said of teachers, "The great teachers fill you up with hope and shower you with a thousand reasons to embrace all aspects of life." Even those of us who were not in her classroom can say that your Mom filled us with hope and joy and a thousand reasons... Her going leaves us with no adequate words. We hold your family in our hearts and prayers. 


Mazie took care of all of us at UA Wesley Foundation and was a mom in many ways.  She and Lewis just loved those young folks.   Buddy Hamner 

OBITUARY

Mazie Chesser

May 19, 1935 – September 26, 2018

Fentress Mortuary

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