Twila Adele Chidester

Twila Adele Chidester, age 67, of Albia, IA, passed away on Friday, January 30, 2026, at Oakwood Specialty Care in Albia, surrounded by her loved ones, under the care of Care Initiatives Hospice. Twila was born on May 16, 1958, in Eldora, IA, to Richard Perry and Ellen Adele (Frazier) Jones. She grew up attending school and graduated from Centerville High School. Following high school, she took nursing classes at Indian Hills Community College. On June 16, 1979, she was united in marriage to Larry Dean Chidester at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Albia. Twila and Larry shared nearly 40 years of marriage prior to Larry’s passing on May 25, 2018. Twila worked many jobs throughout her lifetime. She began her career at Chamberlains in Albia before later working at Trophy Glove and DeLongs. She then joined the Albia Community Schools where she did janitorial work and often filled in as secretary or class monitor when needed. She delivered newspapers, including the Des Moines Register and Midwest Marketer. In 1999, Twila went to work at Dollar General where she worked for more than 20 years. She ended her working career as a clerk at Hy-Vee. During her many years of working in the community, she especially enjoyed visiting with the countless people she met along the way. Twila was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church and served as Head of the Genealogy Society where she created and maintained obituary cards in the basement of the library. She was also a Ladie’s Aide for Pleasant Corners. Twila enjoyed being outdoors and had a passion for gardening and flowers, especially bluebells. She loved horses- collecting them and watching them- and she spent many hours helping Larry D. on the farm, often mowing or raking hay and working cattle. A fan of country music, Twila enjoyed collecting records. She also enjoyed watching westerns and reading romance novels. Above all, she cherished time spent with her family and looked forward to attending family reunions where she was well known for her green bean casserole. Twila is survived by her son, Larry Basil (Shea) Chidester; 4 grandchildren, Lexi (Riss) Castro and Katy, Sarah, and Samuel Chidester; 3 siblings, Wayne Randall Jones, TinaMarie Joy (Chris) McClurg/Cook, and Wally Franklin Jones; and a special friend, David Beakler. Twila is also survived by several cousins, nieces, nephews, and a great nephew. She is preceded in death by her husband, Larry; her parents, Richard and Ellen Jones; a granddaughter, Laura Chidester; and a brother-in-law, Norman McClurg. In honoring Twila’s wishes, the family invites those attending to dress in comfortable, casual attire. Visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at the Tharp Funeral Home in Albia, with Twila’s family present from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. to greet family and friends. Visitation will also be held from 9:00 a.m. until service time on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at the Tharp Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at the Tharp Funeral Home in Albia, with Pastor Rayl Robbins officiating. Burial services will follow at East Bethel Cemetery in Monroe County. A memorial has been established to the Carnegie-Evans Public Library in Albia.

Twila Adele Chidester

May 16, 1958 - January 30, 2026