Roa Maxey Hester

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34782403/roa-maxey-hester Roa Maxey “Maxey” Hester BIRTH 7 Jan 1925 DEATH 10 Mar 2009 (aged 84) BURIAL Jackson Township Cemetery Montezuma, Poweshiek County, Iowa, USA MEMORIAL ID 34782403

MAXEY HESTER

Published on March 13, 2009 Des Moines Register .. page 9~B

MAXEY HESTER

Montezuma, Iowa

MAXEY HESTER, 84 of Montezuma, Iowa passed away Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home. Visitation will begin after 12 p.m. on Friday with the family present from 6 to 8 Friday evening at the funeral home.

Interment will be in the JACKSON TOWNSHIP CEMETERY, in Montezuma, Poweshiek County, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church and Family Center or The Montezuma Fire Department.

ROA MAXEY HESTER, son of Elbert and Daisy (Whitlock) Hester was born January 7, 1925 in Alma, Arkansas.

In 1943, Maxey left Alma High School to enlist in the United States Navy. He served on the U.S.S. ALHENA (AKA-9) Cargo Ship until he was honorably discharged in 1946.

On December 24, 1947, Maxey was united in marriage to Billie Garrett in Fort Smith, Arkansas. To this union six children were born, Danial, Joyce, Nancy, Doris, David and Harold. They moved to the Des Moines area where Maxey worked as a finish carpenter for a few years. He loved to build and fly model airplanes. In 1967, Maxey became the plant manager for Sig Manufacturing Co. Inc. He always has been a "hands on" manager and is very much involved in the company's operations.

On October 6, 1978 Billie passed away.

Maxey married Hazel Sigafoose on December 10, 1981 in Montezuma, Iowa. Together they continued to run Sig Manufacturing until 1999 when they sold the business and retired. Maxey was an active air show pilot in the full scale circuit and, along with his wife, Hazel, flew the Sig "air force" of some seven aircraft. These include three famous Spacewalkers. Maxey enjoyed flying, building model airplanes, fishing and playing on his computer. He was on the United States radio control model airplane team for three different years and flew in Germany, France and England. Maxey served as a contest director both locally and nationally. He was a charter member and first president of the Des Moines Model Aires RC Club and a charter member of NMPRA. He was a lifelong member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and the Experimental Aircraft Association. He was also inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame.

His memory is honored by his wife, Hazel of Montezuma; three daughters, Joyce Hester of Montezuma, Nancy (Tony) Lammers of Brooklyn and Doris (Mike) Gretz of Montezuma; his sister, LaMatha Sheets of North Little Rock, Arkansas, eleven grandchildren, Bryan Hester, Penny Hester, Clayton Hester, Jennifer (Junior) Norris, Elizabeth (Brad) Mayer, Michael Lammers, Darlene (Wesley) Burnham, David (Angie) Gretz, Nicholas Hester, Lauren Hester and Austin Hester and ten great-grandchildren.

Maxey was preceded in death by his parents, Elbert and Daisy Hester; his wife, Billie; three sons, Danial Hester, David Hester and Harold Hester; his brother, Donald Ray Hester and a granddaughter, Esther Gretz.