Chester Country Furnishings’ ‘Mayor of Main Street’ Remembered

CHESTER, NJ — He was a familiar, friendly face who people would see sitting in front of Chester Country Furnishings.

People who knew Bernie Koerner, the father of Chester Country Furnishings’ Manager Lynn Koerner Maier, enjoyed speaking with him as they walked by.

Subscribe to Patch for local news updates to your inbox. (It's free) https://patch.com/subscribe

“It is with deep sadness we announce, on Lynn’s behalf, the passing of her dad, Bernie Koerner,” was an announcement in a Facebook post from the store on Monday.

The post continued that Koerner, “passed away peacefully over the weekend after a brief illness.”

“Thank you to everyone who stopped to talk to him on our porch, to those who treated him to coffee or to a meal, accompanied him on one of his many walks down Main Street and those who popped in to ask about him,” the post also stated. “He was a special man.”

It was Chester Borough’s Mayor Janet Hoven, who reportedly gave Koerner the honorary “Mayor of Main Street” title, along with a special Mayor baseball hat on his 95th birthday in June, the store wrote in a special Facebook post about Koerner's birthday.

For his birthday, the store invited Facebook followers to a celebration for “Grandpa Bernie” on the store’s porch, saying, “If you can’t stop, honk as you go by.”

Sharing Chester Country Furnishing’s post, the “I Love Chester, NJ” Facebook Page posted a special memory about Koerner’s love of giving out dog treats to people who walked their pups past the store.

Many commented on both the store’s and the I Love Chester, NJ posts, about how much they would miss Koerner's presence, along with their thoughts and prayers.

“So, so sorry to hear of Main St. Mayor’s passing,” Hoven wrote on the post. My condolences to all.”

Maier does “Saturdays with Lynn” videos on Chester Country Furnishings’ Facebook Page, with a recent one on Sept. 18 having had a special surprise, with Koerner making an appearance in the video, waving from his chair, along with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren standing next to him.

Click below to watch it:

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.