Larned – Charles Lee Phemister, 77, died at Diversicare of Larned, August 17, 2014. He was born July 31, 1937 in Los Angeles, the son of the late Charles Ardell and Leota Chamness Phemister.

He was a 1959 graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and later attended Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, CA and Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX. He taught in elementary schools in St. Louis, MO and Huntington Park, CA, and later worked with foster children in Riverside County, CA. In 1974, he married Marilyn Black, a childhood friend. The couple moved to Kansas in 1976 to open a Christian bookstore in Larned which he called Noah’s Ark. Marilyn was a published poet and friend to many on her internet Christian writer’s group.

After he closed the bookstore, Charles, called Chuck by his friends, spent much of his time taking care of Marilyn during the final years of her battle with muscular dystrophy. She died in 2012.

Chuck was known in Larned for his willingness to help anyone in need. His love for cats and dogs was obvious to everyone who knew him. He enjoyed riding his bike around town and playing the piano, especially hymns and old gospel songs
In addition to his brother William (Mary Anne) of Carol Stream, IL, he is survived by a niece, Susan Phemister (Manfred) of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and their three children, Tristan, Vivienne, and Sebastian.

A memorial service will be held at the Larned Assembly of God, 921 Broadway, on Monday, September 8, 2014, at 3 pm, Pastor Ryan Webster officiating. Memorials can be made to the Phemister Prize in Piano at the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, Wheaton, IL 60187 in care of Beckwith Mortuary Box 477 Larned, KS 67550. Personal condolences may be left at www.beckwithmortuary.com.