Richard Chester Hewitt, 80, a former Osawatomie resident, died Wednesday, April 10, 2002 at his home in Ottawa.

The son of Chester and Esther Curley Hewitt, he was born Sept. 15, 1921, in Peabody, Kan. He attended elementary schools in Peabody and Burlingame. He attended junior and senior high in Ottawa and graduated from Osawatomie High School in 1939.

He was married to Dorothy McDowell on Oct. 19, 1941, in Osawatomie.

He left for military service Oct. 19, 1942, serving in the Air Corps. As a part of the Army specialized training program, he attended Rose Polytechnic College in Terre Haute, Ind. He later became part of the 4025th Signal Service Group and was assigned to the GN-4 Signal Corps team to serve in the Philippines. He was discharged in 1946.

Mr. Hewitt began work with the U.S. Postal Service in 1947. He served first as a city letter carrier and later as a rural carrier. He retired in December 1978.

After retiring, he and his wife spent several summers in Estes Park, Colo., and winters in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

He was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Ottawa and served as Sunday school superintendent and on the board of trustees. He was a member of the Oxford Service Forum Class and the United Methodist Men He was a charter member of the Ottawa Promenaders and TNT Square Dance Club and Chippewa Good Sams. He and his wife served as 4-H recreation leaders in Franklin County for 40 years.

A sister, Irene Hewitt, was among those who preceded him in death.

Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Hewitt of the home; three daughters, Mary Ann Campbell of Shawnee, Nancy Sidenstucker of Prairie Village and Sheri Wilt of Lenexa; a sister, June Bowland of Joplin, Mo.; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Services were today (Monday) at the church with burial in the Highland Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the church's building fund, Midland Hospice or the Franklin County Cancer Foundation in care of the Lamb-Roberts-Heise Funeral Home, P. O. Box 14, Ottawa, KS 66067.

(From the Miami County Republic 4-15-02)