Dr. Chester Franklin Buckner, Jr. D.D.S, 73, of Effingham died at 12:56 a.m. Tuesday morning, April 3, 2012 at St. John's Hospital in Springfield.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, April 6, 2012 at Bauer Funeral Home in Effingham with Pastor C.W. Lewis officiating. Burial will take place in Roselawn Memorial Park, Terre Haute, Indiana. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thursday evening at Bauer Funeral Home in Effingham. Memorials may be made to the donor's choice. www.bauerfh.com

Chester was born December 13, 1938 in Terre Haute, Indiana, the son of Chester Franklin Buckner, Sr. and Locie R. (Ferris). After graduating high school, Chester received his bachelor's degree in 1960, his master's degree in 1961 and went on to receive his Doctorate in Dentistry in 1964 from Indiana University.

He began his dental practice in Casey which operated from June of 1964 until June of 1969. Chester also opened a dental practice in Effingham in 1967 until he retired in 1995. He was instrumental in developing the dental hygiene and dental assisting programs at Lakeland College in Mattoon, along with Dr. Roger Dettro and Dr. William Podesta and also served on the active committee there. Chester was a life member of the B.P.O.E. Elks organization.

He is survived by his mother, Locie Buckner of Effingham; two sons, Steve of Champaign and David (Judy) of Lake Villa; two daughters, Amber (Thomas) Gray of Carmel, IN and Sara (Justin) Beyers of Effingham; step-son, Eric Brooks of San Francisco, CA; one sister, Carolyn (Tom) Hand of West Melboune, FL; six grandchildren also survive.

Chester was preceded in death by his father and special friend, Lucille Eirhart.