Judge Cheney leaves a legacy

If you told Judge Wendell Cheney he lived an inspirational life, he would have blushed and giggled with embarrassment.

Showing off was not his way, yet, in the course of 93 years of life, he provided a lasting lesson to this community and this area about the importance of kindness, caring and involvement.

This was especially true in his later years. Despite being extremely frail and having to walk with two metal crutches clasped to his arms, he continued to take part in community life.

You were apt to see him anywhere. It might have been at the Barn Show ...at Kiwanis meetings ... at the Congregational Church ... at the newspaper office ... or at Sunday dinner at one of McCook's dining establishments.

Mostly, he lived life on his own. He went into the nursing home a few times to recuperate after illnesses and surgeries, but as soon as he could he returned home to fend for himself. When asked by the Gazette's publisher recently what he had been doing lately, Judge Cheney replied, "To be truthful, Gene, it takes almost all my time now just to live."

What the judge was referring to was the great amount of time required for the day-to-day essentials of eating, sleeping, bathing and attending to personal needs.

But the judge was selling himself short. Yes, daily living did take him a lot of time, and to the end of his 93 earthly years he remained at home.

That, in itself, was inspiring. But the truly uplifting thing was that Judge Cheney did not stop there. He refused to quit. He refused to give up on his commitment to community involvement and emphasized the importance of interaction with others until his dying day.

Judge Cheney is no longer physically present on planet earth. And yet he is still with us, in lasting memory, as an inspiration to live our lives fully and completely, in service to others.

Your life made a difference, Judge. We will do our best to follow your example.