Nathan Keith Chesser

March 7, 1960 – Aug. 31, 2020

Nathan “Keith” Chesser, 60, died surrounded by family at home in Star, Idaho on Aug. 31, 2020. He was diagnosed in April 2019 with an extremely rare form of abdominal cancer.

Keith was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico on March 7, 1960 to Nathan and Betha Chesser.

Keith spent his early years learning all about farm life. As a family they raised day-old baby calves and then sold them to help purchase land. They eventually bought a ranch just out of Colville, Washington.

By the time Keith was 14, his family settled in Anchor Point, Alaska where he loved to spend time on the Anchor River catching salmon and just being a kid. He attended Homer High School and graduated as a junior in 1977. Ready to conquer the world, Keith soon realized that being only 17, opportunities were extremely limited. He was even too young to vote. Keith loved to hunt, mostly for moose. He hunted all the way from Anchor Point up to the Yukon River. Keith knew how to be patient just long enough to get the prize bull.

In April of 1991, Keith married Donna Ledger and they built their life together in Anchor Point. Before too long they were a family of five. In 2012, Keith decided that maybe it was time to start thinking about living in a warmer climate. So, after some research he and his family found a little hidden gem in Star, Idaho. Keith and the family adjusted very quickly and it became his “vacation home” when he was not at work on the North Slope.

Keith had many trades. These were just a few of what he was good at and enjoyed: glazier (Kenai Glass), commercial fishing, construction work (Homer Winter Services) and for the last 13 and 1/2 years he was employed with Arctic Slope Regional Corporation at Kuparuk on the North Slope. Keith had a strong work ethic that started at a young age, learning the importance of those day-old baby calves. His hobbies included beautiful leather work, gun safety, golfing and making smoked salmon in his Little Chief Smoker.

Keith is preceded in death by his father, Nathan Earl Chesser.

He is survived by his wife Donna of 29 years of Star, Idaho; daughter Rachel (Ace) Keim of Anchorage, Alaska; his son Roman (Megan) Chesser of Caldwell, Idaho; his son Trenton Chesser of Star, Idaho; three wonderful grandchildren, Ian, Austin and Avery Keim; mother, Betha Chesser of Lubbock, Texas; brother Russell (Deanna) Chesser of Anchor Point, Alaska; sister Dianna (Dan) Morris of Cameron Park, California; many wonderful nieces and nephews and their families; and a special cousin Bud (Helen) Chesser of Greenleaf, Idaho.

Keith was an avid hunter. He felt an incredible responsibility to educate the youth with gun safety. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to: Kachemak Gun Club, Youth Gun Education, P.O. Box 3007 Homer, AK 99603.