Pioneering female was Army officer, county commissioner
|
“She will be missed,” said Chastain’s niece Marsha Reaves following her aunt’s passing. “She was active in her community as well as her family.”
Chastain was a career Army officer, retiring from the military in 1963 after 21 years of service with the rank of major. She joined the Army in 1942 and became the first Warren County woman to join the WACs. She left her job with Tennessee Valley Authority, which she had taken in the late 1930s, to join the military during the war.
Serving throughout World War II, Chastain continued her career during the Cold War, serving around the world, including stints on the Cold War front lines in Germany and Austria.
Chastain was known in the military not only for her leadership, but also for her excellence in sports as she headed basketball and golf teams which won military championships while she was in the Army. She continued her love for sports after retiring from the military as she was a golf pro at the local country club for several years. She also worked as a sports writer for the Southern Standard in the late 1970s.
Chastain became involved in politics after returning to civilian life as she was first elected to the Warren County Commission in 1968. She served on the county court for 22 years until 1990. During that time, she was known to speak her mind.
“She was controversial, that’s for sure,” said Chastain’s brother, Ed Chastain. “She believed in speaking her peace. It seemed like she was doing something all the day. She really loved Warren County.”
Chastain is credited with modernizing the solid waste disposal system in Warren County as she was the sole member of the county court to serve on the sanitation committee when the county’s waste disposal system was being modernized. She was also instrumental in developing the downtown produce market, providing an outlet for farmers to sell their goods once solicitation around the courthouse was outlawed.
With her successes came great honors as she was named Woman of the Year by the Business and Professional Women’s organization in 1972. She also had a wing of the Warren County Health Department named in her honor in 1987. She was also honored with the Bell Ringer Award, which is the highest honor conferred by Cheer Mental Health. She has also received the Joe Nunley Award and has been honored for her work with Meals on Wheels.
Her contributions to the committee also included a longtime affiliation with the Warren County A&L Fair. She began her work with the fair in 1963, heading the poultry section. She went on to serve on the fair board of directors. She continued her work there until last year when illness restricted her duties.
In addition to the fair, she also worked with the local craft festival and was widely known for her hard rock candy which she sold there annually.
Per her last wishes, Chastain will be laid to rest in the Chastain Family Cemetery, becoming the first person buried in the private cemetery since 1893.
“She not only helped the community, but she was the glue in our family,” Ed Chastain said. “She helped keep this little buck private in line. I think we’re all going to miss her.”
Lifetime achievements
• Chastain broke the gender barrier as the county’s first female county commissioner.
• She was the first Warren County woman to join WACs.
• She received the Bell Ringer Award and Woman of the Year honors.