Lura Marie Duley Leininger

Lura Marie Duley Leininger was born in Dexter on March 19, 1919. She had one brother that survived infancy, John Raymond Duley. He died young at the age of 57 from complications of Multiple Sclerosis. She is survived by one daughter, Sandra Rae (Jerry) Leininger Neisler, of Anaheim, Calif., two grandsons, Brett David Neisler of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Jared Jason Neisler of Anaheim, Calif. She was recently preceded in death by one grandson, Dana Wayne Neisler on Jan. 25, 2014.

She is survived by six nieces and nephews, Joann Duley Smith Gibson, John William Duley, Wayne Dale Duley, Annis Kae Duley Henderson, Janis Rae Duley, Brenda Duley Eubanks and Mary Duley Fail with whom she maintained a strong relationship.

Growing up, she worked as a mechanic in her father's machine shop and also drove tractors when he purchased equipment to harvest crops in Southeast Missouri. She also worked at the Malden Air Force Base, as did her brother.

She was married briefly to Bogard Crawford before moving to Michigan in 1943 to find work. She found work at the GM factory because she was a skilled mechanic, they had her working on the bomb sight, attaching the wind drifter sight for the 2nd atomic bomb that was dropped on Japan to end the war.

She met Harry Albert Leininger through some friends and they married on Dec. 13, 1943. He officially adopted Sandra when she was 3 years of age. They lived on the ground floor of a house near the GM factory, the basement apartment was rented out and on the second floor she took care of the cleaning and laundry for five boarding rooms.

When Harry retired in 1969 after working 35 years at the Chevrolet plant, they moved back to Dexter to help take care of her father and brother. Sadly, her mother died shortly before they were able to return.

Harry died in 1999 at the age of 97. In 2000, Sandra helped to move her mother near Anaheim to be near her family. She bought a mobile home in Parque Pacifica Senior Mobile Home Park in nearby Stanton, Calif. In March of this year, she came to live with Sandra and Jerry after falling several times.

Lura Marie Duley Leininger died at the age of 95, on July 30, 2014, after a two week hospital stay.

Her ashes will be buried next to Harry, on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2014, at 10 a.m. at the Hagy Cemetery in Dexter. The memorial at the graveside will be followed by a lunch at The Hickory Log restaurant.

Lura will be remembered as a very strong person, a hard worker, and a very caring and giving person. She will be greatly missed.

Paid