Educator, resort operator.
Born at Narol on 23 October 1911, son of Thomas “Tom” Chesley (c1888-1969) and Elizabeth Wachal (1890-1963), and sibling of fellow teacher Tom Chesley (c1913-1958), he grew up in Winnipeg at 751 Ashburn street (1916-c1930) and 489 St. John’s Avenue (c1930-1935). He attended Isaac Brock School, Machray School, and St. Johns High School. He graduated from Normal School and was Principal of Plum Ridge School (1941-1943) and Tolstoi School (1943). During his time teaching in the Interlake, he met fellow teacher Anastasia “Ness” Porayko (1909-1994) and they married on 10 April 1939. They settled at Petersfield, founded the Chesley’s Resort, and had a son Larry Edward Chesley (husband of Barbara Elaine Lewis). In 1965, they passed the family business to their son and daughter-in-law, and took up traveling. He died at the Selkirk and District General Hospital on 12 March 1995.
1916 & 1926 Canada censuses, Library and Archives Canada.
Obituary [Frank Chesley], Winnipeg Free Press, 15 July 1946, page 7.
Obituary [Tom Chesley], Winnipeg Free Press, 12 June 1958, page 10.
Obituary [Tom Chesley], Winnipeg Tribune, 13 June 1958, page 37.
Obituary [Elizabeth Chesley], Winnipeg Tribune, 23 March 1963, page 34.
“Lewis - Chesley,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 October 1964, page 14.
“Chesley - Lewis,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 November 1964, page 21.
In Memoriam [Thomas Chesley], Winnipeg Free Press, 10 June 1969, page 30.
Obituary [Emilie Nye], Winnipeg Free Press, 9 April 1988, page 33.
“Anastasia (Ness) Chesley,” Selkirk Journal, 26 December 1994, page 20.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 15 March 1995, page C10.
Obituary, Selkirk Journal, 20 March 1995, page 24.
Winnipeg estate PR95-01-36914, Anastasia Chesley, Archives of Manitoba.
Winnipeg estate PR95-01-36915, Edward Chesley, Archives of Manitoba.
Obituary, [Barbara Elaine Chesley], Winnipeg Free Press, 3 January 2015, page 18.
Winnipeg estate PR15-01-99858, Barbara Elaine Chesley, Archives of Manitoba.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 6 April 2019
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