Lenore Weatherby, daughter
of George and Mary McCracken, was born October 5, 1929 in Topeka, KS and died
January 4, 2019 at the age of 89 in Omaha, NE. Lenore graduated from Valley
Falls High School in 1947. She received her teaching degree from Emporia State
University in Emporia, KS in 1951 after teaching kindergarten for one year in
Abilene, KS.
During the summer of 1950
she met Dave Weatherby at Emporia State University and on June 24, 1951 they
were married in Valley Falls, KS. They moved to Eldorado, KS where Lenore
taught K-8th grade music. As well as Eldorado, KS, Lenore and Dave lived in
Jefferson City, MO, Kansas City, KS, Mount Prospect, IL and Indianola, IA where
they lived for 41 years until moving to Omaha, NE in 2009 to be closer to their
daughters and their families.
Lenore taught preschool at
Elk Grove Village Preschool in Elk Grove Village, IL and was instrumental in
starting Martensdale Preschool in Martensdale, IA. She assisted in starting
three-year-old classes at Indianola Preschool and served as the
Director/Teacher until she retired in 1989. She took a special interest in each
of her preschoolers and worked hard to successfully prepare them for
kindergarten.
In her early years her
hobbies and interests included playing the piano, coronet and violin as well as
tap dancing and horseback riding. She was an active member of Indianola First
United Methodist Church, led the Cherub Choir for several years and enjoyed
singing in the church choir. Lenore was a member of PEO Chapter JV, Monday Club
and Delta Kappa Gamma. She and her husband developed a love for traveling and
were involved in Friendship Force during which they traveled worldwide and met
friends from other cultures. Lenore’s family was the most important aspect of
her life and her favorite thing was to spend time with them.
Surviving are her
daughters, Mary Frances (Joel) Suhr of Omaha, NE and their daughter Jennifer
Suhr of Omaha, NE and Julie Ann (Warren) Higgins of Fremont, NE and their
children Brad Higgins (Alexandria Cudworth and son Elijah) of Omaha, NE and
Michelle (Reece) Kresser and son Benjamin of Tiburon, CA.
Preceding her in death were
her parents, her husband, Dave, and her son-in-law, Joel.
Burial will take place in Valley Falls, KS on January 12, 2019 at 11:45am followed by lunch at the Valley Falls United Methodist Church. A Celebration of Life Service will take place at Indianola First United Methodist Church at 11:00 am on February 9th with lunch to follow service.
Memorials may be made to
the Indianola First United Methodist Church. Please make checks payable to
Indianola First United Methodist Church with “Lenore Weatherby Memorial” on the
memo line and mail to Mary Suhr, 5549 N. 140th St, Omaha, NE 68164.