Shel Lawder “made his career as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force and was a veteran of the Vietnam War. Lt. Col. Lawder returned to Chester upon his retirement from the USAF in 1987 and was the vice president of Southern Illinois Sand and Transfer Company.
He was an active member of his community, including a membership at Chester Country Club and the Ebenezer Social Club. Shelby was also an elder and treasurer of First Presbyterian Church and chairman of the board of directors of Memorial Hospital in Chester.”(1)
Source: (1) https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thesouthern/name/shelby-lawder-obituary?id=24878314
Shelby D. Lawder, LtCol USAF, Ret., “Headed West” on January 20, 2013.
Shelby Dale Lawder, 70, passed away at 5:58 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, in Memorial Hospital in Chester, IL.
He was born to the late A. Shelby and Mary Alice (nee Vickers) Lawder on July 11, 1942, in Chester.
He married Cynthia L. Crawford on June 6, 1980, in Chester and she survives.
Shelby was a graduate of Chester High School, Class of 1960, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s College of Engineering, Class of 1965.
He made his career as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force and was a veteran of the Vietnam War. Lt. Col. Lawder returned to Chester upon his retirement from the USAF in 1987 and was the vice president of Southern Illinois Sand and Transfer Company. He was an active member of his community, including a membership at Chester Country Club and the Ebenezer Social Club. Shelby was also an elder and treasurer of First Presbyterian Church and chairman of the board of directors of Memorial Hospital in Chester.
Survivors include his wife, Cynthia Lawder of Chester; one daughter, Dr. Holly Lawder (Dr. Frederick Chen) of Phoenix; one stepdaughter, Stephanie Koontz of Scottsdale, Ariz.; one stepson, Phillip (Renee) Ernst of Austin, Texas; and five grandchildren, McKenzie Koontz, Ashley Ernst, Shelby Koontz, Amanda Ernst and Chase Ernst.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Shelby Lawder was interred at Ebenezer Cemetery in Rockwood Ebenezer Cemetery, Rockwood.
To view this obituary and sign the register, visit www.pmfh.net.
Published by The Southern Illinoisan from Jan. 22 to Jan. 23, 2013.
