Ramona Jeanne Leeper Obituary (1931 - 2016)

Ramona Jeanne Leeper was born on her father's birthday in rural Clarke County, Iowa on July 18, 1931 to Dale and Leo (Bloomquist) Iiams. She grew up in the house where she was born (the big yellow house) which she spoke of often and loved. She had many wonderful memories of her childhood there, attended country school and lived there until graduation from Murray High School in 1949. After graduation she moved to Winterset, Iowa where she worked as a telephone operator for North Western Bell. Here begins a love story that has been told over and over and cherished by our family. She and a friend went to have a cup of coffee at the Aldo Cafe in Winterset. There her friend Roberta met her boyfriend who was with another young man; both men were called by draft for the Army. Ramona noticed the young man but was on her way home and went home to her apartment. Not long after she got home there was a knock on the door it was her friend who had come back to get her she said "that guy in the uniform wants to meet you." He was Richard Leeper her future husband. They were introduced and Ramona asked where Richard was from and he said Madison County. She told him her grandpa August Bloomquist lived near Earlham, Iowa. Many times when Ramona visited her grandpa August they would drive by the Leeper farm and he would tell her that some really nice boys lived there. So it was fate and Ramona and Richard continued to date and were married on June 22, 1952 at the Early Chapel Christian Church just before Richard was dispatched to Korea. After an honorable discharge, Ramona's husband returned home and they lived near Earlham until moving to Avon and then to Carlisle. They became members of the Carlisle Christian Church where Ramona was active in CWF, helped with vacation bible school and church camp and led many to join the church. She also was a Girl Scout and Brownie leader. Ramona loved people. She was known for her fun loving nature and bright blue sparkling eyes. She was a homemaker and had a wonderful circle of neighbors who would have coffee together and go on shopping trips and engage in all sorts of activities. She loved decorating her home every season and holiday, especially with flowers. She loved to sew and taught her daughters to sew. She made many of their clothes but also loved to take them shopping making sure they always had everything they needed. She was a host mom for two foreign exchange students. She became very interested in Genealogy and belonged to a club that would meet to share information. After raising the family she went back to school to the Des Moines Area Community College and became a licensed practical nurse. She worked from 1976 to1981 at Des Moines General Hospital, then at Mercy Hospital, the Good Samaritan Nursing facility in Indianola, later to work at the Carlisle Care Center. She was a wonderful grandmother and always found events in the Date Book for her grandchildren to attend. After retirement she and Richard would travel to Mexico to visit their daughter and her husband and grandchildren. They were an important influence in helping the grandchildren to be bilingual. She lived life to the fullest with much enthusiasm, love and faith. We will remember her always. Mom now has heaven to enjoy far from sorrow and pain. She will always remain in a very dear place in our hearts. Ramona, surrounded by her loving family, went to be with Jesus Friday, February 12, 2016 at Parkridge Specialty Care in Pleasant Hill, Iowa. Those left to cherish her life are her husband of 63 years, Richard Dale Leeper of Carlisle; two daughters, Deborah (Luis) Leeper Moreno of Merida Yucatan Mexico; Dixie (Doug) Griffith of Des Moines; five grandchildren Ricardo (Lupita) Moreno; Andres (Fabiola) Moreno; Deborah ( Manuel) Perez; Matthew (Melissa) Griffith; Luke (Jessica) Griffith; four great grandchildren Elias, Aaron, Matias Moreno and Emilia Moreno, and a sister Naomi Young of Des Moines.