Illness Fatal to Chet Titus -
Well-Known Concordia Ball Player Dies in Norton Sanitarium -

Chester J. Titus, well known baseball player of Concordia, died at the Norton sanitarium about 4 o'clock this morning. Mr. Titus had suffered with a lung and throat infection since 1930 and was taken to Norton for treatment two months ago.

Mr. Titus came to Concordia in 1926 from Norton where he had played semi-pro baseball. He played two years here with the Concordia Travelers, and was an outstanding player in the Denver Post tournament when the Concordia team won the Colorado meet.

In 1928 he played ball in the Nebraska State League and moved into the Shawnee, Okla., team the following year. He also played in the Three-I League in Danville, Ill., before becoming a member of the St. Joseph team in the Western League. At the close of the season in 1930, Mr. Titus was forced to quit baseball by doctor's orders. From that time until two months ago he received treatment in Concordia.

Mr. Titus was born in Fairplay, Mo., Oct 3, 1903. He moved with his parents to Arcadia, Kan., when a small boy and received his schooling there. On Oct 23, 1930, he enlisted in the army at Pittsburg, Kan., and served one year, receiving an honorary discharge at Fort Howard, Md., the following year.

The same year, Mr. Titus started working for the Texaco Oil Company and was transferred to Casper, Wyo. He played baseball with Casper before moving to Norton in 1926.

In 1928 he was married to Pauline Conley at Fairbury, Neb. One daughter, Pattie Lou, was born.

Mr. Titus is survived by his wife and daughter; mother, Mrs. C. T. Slavens of Miami, Okla; father, Bert Titus, Arcadia; five sisters: Mrs. Foster Phenix, Concordia; Vera, Carroll and Evelyn Slavens, all of Miami, Okla; Thelma Slavens of Chicago; two brothers: Ray and Columbus Slavens of Miami. Funeral arrangements have not been completed.

Chet had countless friends in and around Concordia who were watching his baseball career with interest and boosting him all the time. He was a streak of lightning on bases, and when he was circling his beloved second base, he was completely happy.

As a member of the Travelers in the Denver Post tournament in 1927, he turned in such a performance at third base that the Denver papers were forced to give him much prominence in their sport news. On the memorable Labor Day game, when Concordia played the Denver Buicks, Chet was permitted to do the things that are the dreams of every baseball player. He hit a home run, driving in two to tie the score, and then, in the ninth inning, hit a single to score the winning run. That, to Chet Titus, was a happy moment. And from that time on he was a baseball idol to the fans around here.

While still a member of the Travelers, he was scouted by the Cardinals and given a trial. It was by them that he was farmed to Danville, Ill. When the state of his health forced him to retire from baseball, he tried to be philosophic about it; he tried to find some other interest but could not be happy away from baseball. He was the organizer and first secretary of the Twilight League and played his last baseball as a member of the Montgomery Ward team in that league. But Chet couldn't stand baseball any more and he reluctantly laid aside his glove and sticks, never to take them up again.

No one who remembers his playing can ever forget the lithe, nervous streak that he was. No one ever saw him pull a dirty trick in the game, and that is a memorial to him.

Concordia Blade-Empire, July 7, 1932, page 1, transcribed by Linda Berney