Chester "Chet" Kermit Enstrom [1902 - 1992]

Individual, Enstrom_Chester

About

https://mesa.marmot.org/Archive/person:13101/Person He was born in Woodhall, Illinois and moved to Iowa when he was young. There, he attended a one-room schoolhouse in the country before the family returned to Illinois. His father worked for the Galeville Separator Company, for which he relocated several times. When his father developed tuberculosis, which happened when Chet Enstrom turned twelve, the family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. To support the family, Chet's mother worked as a house cleaner in a bakery and did other odd jobs. Meanwhile, Chet had to take time off from school so that he could work as a newspaper delivery boy and in an ice-cream plant. He left high school shortly before graduation, and did not earn his diploma until 1970 when he also gave a commencement address. While working for the ice-cream manufacturer he also helped out in Bartell's Confectionary, a candy shop, cleaning and helping with candy making. In 1929, he came to Grand Junction in order to join Harry Jones as a partner in an existing ice-cream company called the Velvet Ice Cream Company. Chet Enstrom brought extensive knowledge of ice-cream making from Colorado Springs and from extension courses at Iowa State University, and they succeeded in making a good product. Jones retired early, and when Enstrom's new partner put lesser ingredients in the ice-cream, he decided to sell the business to Clymer's Diary. Enstrom then began making the almond toffee for which he is now locally famous, using a recipe that he developed himself. He went into business under the name Enstrom Candies in 1965. When he ran and was elected to the Colorado State Senate, he sold Enstrom Candies to his son so that he could concentrate more fully on his political career. In the State Senate, he was appointed chairman of the Committee of Natural Resources without ever having attended a committee meeting. He was later appointed chairman of the Education Committee. Enstrom also served as a Grand Junction City Councilman in the 1930's, and as a Colorado State College board member. Also, he was active as a volunteer in the Grand Junction Lion's Club, the Arthritis Foundation, and other organizations. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97166384/chester-kermit-enstrom

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