Lester Denton Matheny, age 85, of Sabinal passed away April 5, 2009, at Hondo Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Hondo. He was born Nov. 19, 1923, in Gillette, WY, to Austin Otto and Edna Ina (Collins) Matheny. Lester is survived by his wife, Barbara Ellen (White) Matheny; daughters, Paula Furr and husband John of San Antonio, Caroline Driscoll and husband Kenneth of Alamogordo, NM, Judith Kincaid and husband Dan of Pittsburg TX, Kris Mesko and husband Paul of McKinney, Pat Jost and husband Jim of Spring Branch, and Marilyn Kite and husband Gary of Alamogordo; son, Robert Matheny and wife Diane of Alamogordo; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and his sister, Ruby Elma Driskill of Andalusia, AL. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Arthur Lee Matheny; and sister, Pearl Doris Hooper. He was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ. Lester moved to Sabinal in 1941 with his family and graduated from Sabinal High School in 1942. He served in the Air Force as an airplane mechanic from 1944 to 1946. In February 1947, he married Barbara Ellen White of Sabinal and their attendants were his brother, Lee, and her sister, Eva (Matheny) O'Bryant. Lester purchased half of the original homestead from his father and raised livestock and farmed for the next 50 years, which included custom farming for others. At the beginning, he worked fulltime as an airplane mechanic at the Hondo Air Base and farmed evenings and weekends. His children remember when he worked at the Hondo Air Base that he and Mr. Elrod would fly over and "buzz" the farmhouse at the end of the day to let Barbara know they were finished for the day. Lester built the original farmhouse, enlarging and remodeling it as the family grew. He built the kitchen cabinets for the house and furniture as the need arose. His children remember him always working on new wood projects such as tables, decorative shelves and cutting boards. His retirement years included woodworking and cultivating a vegetable garden. His love of farming continued at the new homesite - his tractors just got smaller. He was still riding his favorite lawn mower last summer. Graveside service was held Tuesday, April 7, at the Sabinal Cemetery with Frank Perkins of Hondo officiating. Pallbearers were his son, sons-in-law, and grandsons: Bob Matheny, Ken Driscoll, Dan Kincaid, Gary Kite, Dallas Mitchell, Mick Schultz, Joseph Kincaid, Jason Mesko, and Daniel Brian Kincaid.