Leta Marie Flanagan

Leta Flanagan
Leta Marie Roberts Flanagan died Monday evening, May 3, in Columbia, MO, at the Lenoir Winwood Care Center following a lengthy illness of Alzheimer's Disease. At the time of her death she was 85.
Leta Marie was born in Kirksville, MO, on April 28, 1925, the third child of Amos and Nora Pevehouse Roberts. Following graduation from Kirksville Senior High School in 1943, she moved with her lifelong friends, Betty Lou Mikel Pine and Kathleen Mikel Goodman, to St. Louis, MO, to work in a munitions factory. Shortly thereafter she met John R. Flanagan, to whom she was married in Kirksville at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on April 15, 1944. John and Leta Flanagan had two children, John Robert Flanagan, Jr. and Rebecca Joy Flanagan.
Leta Flanagan was preceded in death by her husband on July 4, 1994. She was also preceded in death by her parents, by her sister, Mary Alice Roberts, and by her brother, Russell Roberts, of Kirksville.
For more than thirty years Leta was a nurse at Grim Smith Hospital, and between 1973 and 1982 she owned and operated the Professional Style Shoppe on the northeast corner of the square in Kirksville.
Mrs. Flanagan was an active member of the Christian Church in Kirksville, where among other things, she sang in the choir, was a member of the Christian Women's Fellowship, and was involved in various aspects of the Church's ministry with children and youth. In her young adult years she was a regular volunteer for community fund drives to benefit organizations such as the American Heart Association. During the twenty four years when one of her two children was attending the Kirksville Public Schools, she could be relied upon enthusiastically to support school activities. Later she was active in  women's business and professional organizations.  Throughout her life Leta Flanagan was known for her humor, gregariousness, and sacrificial care for people of all ages.
In an act expressive of their devotion to their family, in 1990 Leta and John moved to Columbia in order to care for their grandchildren, Amelia and Nicky, while their daughter, Becky Llorens, completed her medical education. Subsequently, they moved with Becky and her family to Godfrey, IL to continue this caring role.
After her husband's death, Leta Marie Flanagan continued to live with her daughter and son-in-law in Godfrey and subsequently in Columbia. She was an enthusiastic participant in the MU Adult Day Connection until the last two years when her illness required she receive the kind of constant and vigilant care so competently provided in the Alzheimer's unit of the Lenoir Woods community.
Although Mrs. Flanagan lived away from Kirksville for the past twenty years, she always thought of Kirksville as her home.
Surviving members of Leta Flanagan's immediate family include: son, Bob Flanagan, and daughter-in law, Mary, of Columbia; grandson, Dr. Jeremy Robert Flanagan, granddaughter-in-law, Mindy, and great granddaughters, Meira and Elsa, of Kansas City, grandson, Caleb John Flanagan, and friend Melissa Steward, of St. Louis; daughter, Dr. Becky Llorens, son-in-law, Dr. Nicolas Llorens, granddaughter, Amelia Marie Llorens, and grandson, Nicolas Jonathan Llorens, of Columbia. She is also survived by nephews, Rusty Roberts and Michael Flanagan, nieces, Kaye Clemens and Mary Jo Rose, several great nieces and nephews and several cousins, especially from the Pevehouse side of her extended family.
Leta always referred to her four grandchildren as her angels. Jeremy was her First Angel, Caleb was her Tallest Angel, Amelia was her Girl Angel, and Nicky, who has autism, was her Special Angel. Memorial contributions in honor of Leta Marie Flanagan can be made to the national organization for Autism research: Autism Speaks, 1060 State Road, Princeton, N.J. 08540, or at www.AutismSpeaks.org or to the MU Adult Day Connection 137 Clark Hall, Columbia, MO 65211.
Memorial service for Leta Flangan will be celebrated by The Rev. Dr. Bob Flanagan, Saturday, May 8, at 2 PM in Kirksville, MO, at the Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Home in Kirksville, MO. Music will be provided by Mr. Dee Roberts of Kirksville, The Rev. Dr. Larry Brown of Columbia, and Mr. Matt Williams of Columbia. Mrs. Flanagan's children will be at the funeral home to greet guests beginning at approximately 1 PM. Burial will be in Maple Hills Cemetery in Kirksville.
Bearers will be Michael Flanagan, Jim Rose, Larry Clemens, Donald Cooper, Dean Adkins, and Pat Harper.
Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Home
2100 E. Shepherd Ave.
Kirksville, MO 63501 660-665-2233