On November 24, 2021, Clarabelle Faye (Kittelman) Leeling went to heaven to be with her late husband Warren and their youngest son Rick. She lost both husband and son the same year, three months and one day apart.
Clara was born at Lusk, Wyoming, on January 23, 1931, to Paul and Eva Kittelman. They lived on a 950-acre farm outside of Manville, Wyoming. Clara was the youngest in her family of two sisters and two brothers who are all deceased as well as their parents. She was a “farm girl” and truly loved it.
Clara was baptized, confirmed and married in St. John’s Lutheran Church in Keeline, Wyoming. She attended school at Manville, Wyoming, graduating as salutatorian in May of 1949.
On June 5, 1949, she married Warren Leeling whom she had dated for three years. They were married three years before they had their first son. Every three years they had a son until they had three. They often said three was their favorite number. And lo and behold, six years later along came a daughter. Ron, Terry and Rick were joined by a sister, Tamera.
Clara was a busy mother and wife. After their marriage, Warren and Clara lived at Lance Creek, Wyoming, where Warren worked for Continental Oil Company. In 1955, Warren was transferred to Brush, Colorado, and five years later to Craig, Colorado, when he became a Test Engineer.
The moves seem to be coming more frequently so they decided to strike out on their own. They purchased a liquor and sporting goods store in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and named it Warren’s Liquor and Sporting Goods where Warren applied his talents as a gunsmith.
After the children were all in school, Clara began classes at Western Nebraska Community College bringing her accounting ability up to standards. Following Clara’s college binge, she started looking for a job and found part-time employment with the Soil Conservation Service. Later her position became full-time and she worked there for five years before going to work for the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) for two years.
About this time, Warren and Clara purchased land consisting of 20-acres just outside of Scottsbluff and named it “Paradise Haven”. Clara left ASCS and took on the job of refurbishing their home. After three months, she went to work for the Scotts Bluff County Highway Department as an Administrative Assistant. She loved her job and worked there for 37 years and retired due to failing eyesight and hearing loss.
“What you cannot change, you learn to accept”, was Clara’s favorite motto. She had many challenges in her lifetime and hit them head on. Clara had a severe heart attack in 1991 and was not expect to live throughout the day. To everyone’s surprise, she pulled through and was sent to Denver, Colorado, where a pacemaker/defibrator was implanted. She received electric shocks a good many times, but hung in there. In 2004, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Clara overcome the cancer and lived a full life.
Her hobbies included going to garage sales, dancing, playing cards, tending to beloved pets and her most favorite hobby – cooking. Clara loved making delicious meals for family and friends. She loved animals and proclaimed “Clara’s Rule” that they would be fed before herself.
Clara had a wonderful family and thanks to them, they were her caregivers. In 2019, special friend Jim Lawson invited her and daughter Tamera to move in with him. They took good care of her and prevented a stay at a nursing facility. Jim treated her like a second mother and she thought of him as another son. On days when Tamera and Jim were unable to be with her, Ron and Terry took over her care. She loved her family with all her heart and they showed her respect in the same manner.
Clara is survived by sons Ron Leeling and Terry Leeling, daughter Tamera Leeling, two grandsons Chad Leeling and Jason Leeling, five great-grandchildren, special friend Jim Lawson, her “grand-dog” Molly and all of her many special animal friends.
Visitation will be held between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Monday, November 29, 2021, at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Chapel in Scottsbluff with public graveside services to follow on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. at the Sunset Memorial Park on the Scottsbluff/Mitchell highway. Online condolences may be left at www.dugankramer.com.
