Obit of Leckie, Arleta LaNel Preston - Kiowa County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 31 Jul 2005 Return to Kiowa County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/kiowa/kiowa.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== Altus Times 4 May 2004 Arleta LaNel Preston Leckie The celebration of the life of Arleta LaNel Preston Leckie will be held at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 5, 2004 at the 1st United Methodist Church in Snyder with Dr. Jene Miller, pastor of the Arnett 1st United Methodist Church, officiating. Daryl Perry of Indiahoma will assist. Leckie died comfortably and peacefully, surrounded by her family in the Jackson County Memorial Hospital Saturday evening. Leckie was born on January 5, 1917, in Mt. Park to Sr. C.R. and Habelle Preston. She grew up in Mt. Park and attended Mt. Park school, graduating as Valedictorian of the Class of 1933. She attended the Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha and later graduated from Oklahoma University with a degree in social work in June 1938. She was an Alpha Chi Omega. Leckie was employed by the Department of Public Welfare (now the Department of Human Services) Child Welfare Division. She was instrumental in establishing the 1st Child Welfare Division. She was instrumental in establishing the first Child Welfare Unit in Craig Co.unty. She worked in Craig, Ottawa, Mayes, Delaware, Nowata and Washington counties and lived in Bartlesville and Vinita. She married Melvin E. Leckie on February 16, 1942, at her parents home in Mt. Park. They were married only a matter of days before Melvin enlisted in the Navy and was shipped to the South Pacific for the duration of WW II. In May of 1946, she moved to Snyder and entered into a Partnership with her mother and husband that was called Preston-Leckie Funeral Home. Still with the Department of Public Welfare, she was appointed the District Supervisor of Child Welfare for Jackson, Harmon, Greer, Kiowa and Tillman Counties. Until June 1963, she was mainly involved in Protective Services for children. She was then assigned to establish a day care program for migrant children whose parents came to harvest cotton in Southwest Oklahoma. In 1972, she was assigned to license child care facilities. She held this position until her retirement in February 1983, then devoting her full time to the operation of the funeral home. Leckie was a charter member of the Associated Christian Ministries, Inc., a licensed funeral director for 58 years; a 50+ year member of the Order of the Eastern Star; a member of the American Legion Auxiliary; a past member of the Snyder Chamber of Commerce; a past member of the Snyder Rotary Club; a past member of the Snyder Garden Club; a past member of the Tuesday Night Bridge Club; a past member of the National and Oklahoma Funeral Directors' Association; a past member of the Fairlawn Cemetery Association; she taught the pre-school Sunday School Class at the Snyder First United Methodist Church for 50+ years; was a member of the Snyder 1st United Methodist Church. Those who survive Leckie include son Preston; daughter and son-in-law, Charla and Ron Wedel; grandsons, Shawn and Richard Preston Leckie; two granddaughters, Leslie Graves and husband, Bill, and Kelli Hicks; one great-grandson, Ryan Wade Leckie; one great-granddaughter, Sierra and Shelby Graves; one sister, Walleah McAnerny; nephews, Pat and Charles Preston McAnerny. Those who preceded her in death include her parents, husband, aunt Nettie Bryce, niece Heather Susan McAnernym and a cousin, Alice Box. Burial will be at the Fairlawn Cemetery east of Snyder under the direction of Preston-Leckie Funeral Home and Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home. The Rev. J.W. Denham will officiate. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Kiowa County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/kiowa/kiowa.html