Rachel Marie Leichty, 77, passed away on Saturday June 11, 2011, at her home in Winslow. A visitation was held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Greer’s Mortuary in Winslow. A memorial service will be held at 10 o’clock this morning (June 15) at the First Baptist Church in Winslow. Interment will take place in Wayland, Iowa.
She was the daughter of the late Simon and Lavina (Roth) Leichty of Wayland. Rachel was born Oct. 24, 1933.
She attended Maple Grove Country School, Wayland High School and Hesston College in Hesston, Kan. She taught in Flowers Country School and Wayland Grade School. She served two years in volunteer service in Southern Texas. She moved to Dilkon School in Dilkon in 1964 and taught on the Navajo Reservation for 20 years. She earned two master’s degrees: one as a reading specialist and one in education supervision. She and friend Sue Crumrine moved to Winslow in 1984, where she taught at Washington School until her retirement in 1996.
Rachel was baptized at the Sugar Creek Mennonite Church in 1947, and was an active participant there until she moved to Arizona. She was a member of Winslow First Christian Church for many years and later she joined the First Baptist Church, where she was active until her death.
Survivors include her longtime friend, Sue Crumrine of Winslow; two sisters, Anna Lewis of West Liberty, Iowa, and Phyllis Schlatter and her husband Emil of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; five brothers, Orlin and his wife Esther of Washington, Iowa, Russell and his wife Hazel of Fort Wayne, Ind., Roger and his wife Evie of Harrisonburg, Va., Kenneth and his wife Kathy of Wellman, Iowa, and Wilbur and his wife Deb of Wayland; a brother-in-law, Gerald Marner of Kalona, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother-in-law, George Lewis in 2005; two sisters, Esther Marner in 2003 and Lorene Leichty in 2010; and four great-nephews.
