Edward Joseph Leonard

Edward Joseph Leonard, 79, of Wamego, Kansas, passed away Thursday, February 18, 2010 at Stormont-Vail Health Care in Topeka. Ed was born July 3, 1930 on his family farm near Wabaunsee, KS, the son of Edward J. Leonard, Jr. and Bertha Blanche Vilven Leonard. He attended grade school at Wabaunsee and graduated from Wamego High School in 1949. During school he worked on his family farm and at the Garansson Ranch. Following school, he worked as a welder for Viking Mfg. at Manhattan, KS and for the Rock Island Railroad at Wabaunsee. He entered the Army in May 1951 and processed through Ft. Custer, Michigan, with basic training in Aberdeen, Maryland. He completed welding school in Atlanta, Georgia and arrived in Korea in December of 1951. He was assigned with the 725th Ord. Maint. Co., supporting the 25th Infantry Division. After promotion to Sgt., he was in charge of the welding shop. The remainder of his enlistment was with a Railroad Transportation unit at Ft. Eustis, VA. Following his military service, Ed worked for the Kansas Department of Transportation as an engineer technician from 1957 until his retirement in 1991. In September, 1957, he was married to Shirley Pride. To this union, two sons were born; Wayne E. and Dale W. Leonard, both of Chicago, IL, and one daughter, Tina N. Leonard of Manhattan, KS. He was divorced from Shirley in 1968. He was united in marriage on February 27, 1971 to LeAnne Schmidt Janssen, with her four children; Kim Doucet and her husband Mitchell of Rossville, KS, Karla Richter, St. George, KS, Keri Longaway and her husband Adam of St. Louis, MO, and a son, Keith Janssen who preceded him in death in 1995. His wife LeAnne survives, of their home in Wamego. Other survivors include 7 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. He was also preceded in death by his son-in-law, Kurt Richter in 1993; his brother, Glenn Leonard; and his sister JoAnn Leonard. Ed was a lifetime member of the V.F.W., the Harold Johnson American Legion Post 172 of Wamego, and the Disabled American Veterans. He was also an annual member of the 40/8 Chapter of Manhattan, a member of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church of Wamego, St. Bernard’s Knights of Columbus, the 25th Division Association in Hawaii, and the Wamego Historical Society. Ed had a strong pride for his military service and his country, and was always supporting and honoring his fellow veterans in any way he could. Mass of Christian Burial for Mr. Leonard will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Monday, February 22, 2010 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church. Burial will follow in the Wamego City cemetery. A rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. Sunday at the Stewart Funeral Home of Wamego, where the family will greet friends during a visitation following the rosary until 9:00 p.m. Mr. Leonard will lie in-state beginning at 1:00 p.m. Sunday at the funeral Home. In Lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to St. Bernard’s Church Building Fund, or to the Wamego Public Library, and may be left in care of the Stewart Funeral Home, PO Box 48, 66547.