Obituary of Arlene Chestnut

Arlene Chesnut, died on April 6, 2023, at her home in Prestige Assisted Living in Marysville, CA, 15 days shy of her 99th birthday.She was born to Marion Henry Robey and Neva Lorraine (Salisbury) Robey on April 21, 1924, at their home in Live Oak, CA. Arlene grew up in Live Oak and was the last known surviving member of the Live Oak High School Class of 1942. She was one of 32 women to earn their associate's degree from Yuba College in 1944; there were no men graduates due to the war. She attended Mount Zion School of Nursing in San Francisco under the United States Cadet Nursing Corps, which was established to train nurses to work stateside during WWII. Graduating in 1947, after the end of the war, Arlene pursued her BA degree at LaVerne College in Southern California. There she received her education, room and board in exchange for service as the school nurse, graduating in 1949. Arlene returned to work at the newly-opened Biggs-Gridley Memorial Hospital, where she was employed for one year. Subsequently, she worked for Dr. Sears in Gridley, for 10 years until the birth of her daughter. Rideout Memorial Hospital in Marysville was where Arlene spent the bulk of her nursing career, working there for 25 years until her retirement in 1986. Arlene is survived by her daughter, Laura Keber; son-in-law, John Keber of Marysville; and grandson, Eric Keber of Lincoln, CA. She is also survived by nephew, John Robey (Sallie) of Fortuna, CA; niece, Lisa Jeffs (Robert) of Gold Hill, OR; and two generations of their families. Robert Chesnut and Arlene were married on February 1, 1959, until his death on December 10, 1992. Also preceding Arlene in death were her brother and sister-in-law, Millard and Joan Robey; nephew, Stevan Robey; and great-niece, Molly Robey. Arlene loved the Lord, her family and friends. She enjoyed traveling, volunteering and learning. Arlene was a caregiver at heart and spent her life making the world a better place. The family wants to thank the caring staff at Prestige Assisted Living in Marysville, which was her home for nearly six years. A graveside service will be held on Friday, April 21, 2023, at 10:30am, at the Live Oak Cemetery, 3545 Pennington Rd. A reception will follow at noon at the Notre Dame School cafeteria in Marysville, across the street from St. Joseph Catholic Church. Entrance can be made by the gate on 7th St., between B St. and C St. Donations can be made to a favorite charity or to the Sutter County Museum where she was a longtime volunteer: 1333 Butte House Rd., Yuba City, CA 95993.