Our mother, Lois Caroline (Waitley) Leckler,  was born to Roy Nelson Waitley and Bessie LaVerl (Lockard) Waitley on July 23, 1929, at her grandmother's home in the Kelly community southeast of Sterling.  She passed away peacefully at the age of 91 after a short bout with noncovid-pneumonia on Tuesday, December 1st, 2020, at the Gardens On Quail, Arvada, Colorado.

Public viewings will be offered at Chaney-Reager Funeral Home on Sunday Dec. 6, from 1pm to 4 pm and Monday Dec. 7, from 10 am to 12 pm. Due to the current Covid 19 restrictions, a private family graveside service will be held at Riverside Cemetery on Monday, December 7th at 1:30 p.m. The family hopes to have a celebration of her life in the future.

For everyone's safety, the family requests that attendees please wear masks and follow the social distancing guidelines.

Lois grew up in the farming communities of Kelly and Atwood with most of her time dedicated to the usual chores and assorted farm duties.  But there was occasionally time for competitive activities.  Girl's softball and basketball were always taken seriously by the local farm girl who loved to compete and was a member of the 1946 Logan County Girls' Softball championship team.  She was a true athlete who loved to ride a horse, with or without a saddle.  According to her brother Frank, Lois could mount a horse by grabbing the mane and swinging on to its back at a full gallop.

Lois met her future husband, Henry Alfred (Al) Leckler, at the Happy Valley dances near Merino, and on June 1st, 1946 they were married at Fort Morgan.  They farmed in the Merino and Atwood area and their first daughter, Susan, was born.  After moving to Sterling in 1956, daughter Peggy arrived.  In 1964, they started Leckler's Upholstery, which they owned and operated until Al's passing in1996. They also taught the upholstery class at NJC for 25 years.  During that time Lois completed her GED, took college courses at NJC, and prepared taxes professionally for H&R Block. Additionally, Lois spent many years as the Sunday School Superintendent at the Atwood Methodist Church.  Upon its closing, she and Al taught the High School Youth class at Christ United Methodist Church in Sterling and worked on the Evangelism and Missions Committees.

After Al's death, Lois, at the age of 67 began her second career as a special education paraprofessional at Sterling Middle School and worked there for 16 years. During this period of her life, she found working with students and staff very rewarding. In 2011, at the age of 83, she moved to Arvada near her daughter Susan and family continuing to work as a volunteer in the nearby kindergarten class.  Mom's passion was always her family, friends, and students.

She was preceded in death by her husband Henry Alfred (Al) Leckler; parents, Roy and Bessie Waitley; brother, Forrest Dale Waitley; and sister-in-law, Jacqueline Ruth Smith Waitley.

Lois is survived by her daughters Susan Noffsinger and husband Ben of Arvada;  Peggy Brown and husband Don of Yuma; grandchildren: Jason (Julie) Noffsinger and children, Emma and Molly of Westminster; Luke (Jessica) Noffsinger and children, Blake and Jaxon of Westminster; Tyson (Lisa) Brown and children, Max, Mya, and Noah of Yuma; Sabrina Brown of Yuma; and Alex (Gretta) Brown of Denver.  Also surviving are her brother, Frank (Andrea) Waitley of Iliff, and sister-in-law, LaVerna Waitley of Sterling.  Special to Lois were her many nieces and nephews.

Donations in Lois's memory can be made to: The Al and Lois Leckler Scholarship Fund, or Christ United Methodist Church, or Seasons Hospice c/o Chaney-Reager Funeral Home, PO Box 1046 Sterling, CO  80751