Leota DeVoe

Graveside memorial services for Leota DeVoe, age 77 of Bedford who passed away Saturday, December 24, 2011 at the Bedford Nursing & Rehab Center will be held Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at the Lexington Cemetery in Bedford. Visitation will be held Monday, December 26, 2011 at the Ritchie Funeral Home in Bedford from 3 to 7 with the family greeting friends from 5 to 7. Memorials may be given in Leota's name. Memories may be shared at www.ritchiefuneralhome.com. Arrangements were entrusted to Ritchie Funeral Home of Bedford.

Leota Ellen DeVoe, age 77, of Bedford was born September 16, 1934 in Lenox, IA, the daughter of Marvin and Alma (Stanger) Fleming. After living 23 years with Alzheimer's disease she passed away Saturday morning, December 24, 2011 at the Bedford Nursing and Rehab Center surrounded by her loving family.

Leota grew up in Lenox graduating from the Lenox High School in 1952. While in high school Leota met Doyle DeVoe at the skating rink and started dating shortly after. After high school she worked a short time at Mutual of Omaha while Doyle was deployed overseas. While Doyle was in the service they wrote letters almost daily. They were united in marriage December 18, 1954 at the United Methodist Church in Lenox. They lived their entire married life on a farm southeast of Conway until Leota moved to the Bedford Nursing and Rehab Center in January of 2009. During their union they were blessed with 4 children, Steven Jay, Michael Dean, Sandra Jean and Kenneth Wayne (Short).

Leota had a passion for music and loved to play the piano and the accordion that Doyle sent her while he was stationed in Germany. Leota enjoyed gardening and always had a large vegetable garden from which she canned for the family. She also sewed for her family, making clothes, doll clothes and curtains for the house. She loved animals and usually had a dog and often a cat that one of the kids "rescued". For many years Leota and Doyle enjoyed spending their winters in Texas and Arizona.

Left to cherish Leota's memory are her loving and devoted husband of 57 years, Doyle; their children, Steve DeVoe and wife Lou, Mike DeVoe and wife Jill, Sandy Piercy and husband GL, Short DeVoe and wife Terry; 14 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; her sister, Joan Thompson; sisters-in-law, MaryAnn Fleming, Donna Dawson and Lois Scott; uncle, Wendell Fleming; nieces, nephews, many other relatives and friends.

Leota was preceded in death by her parents, Marvin and Alma Fleming; brother, Robert Fleming; brothers-in-law, Vernal Thompson, Bill Dawson and Russell Scott; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Charles and Mildred DeVoe.

Beloved Wife

Although you can't be here with me, we're truly not apart,
Until the final breath I take, you will be living in my heart.