Leota Wagenknecht

LIBERTY, Mo. ? Leota Mae ?Lee? (Fishburn) Wagenknecht, 86, of Liberty, Missouri, died Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, at Oak Pointe of Kearney, Missouri.

A celebration of her life will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Aug. 8, at Liberty United Methodist Church, 1001 Sunset Avenue, Liberty, Missouri. A visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Sunday at the church. Burial will be at Leavenworth National Cemetery on a date to be determined. The family suggests contributions to the Liberty United Methodist Church. The Church-Archer-Pasley Funeral Home in Liberty, Missouri, is in charge of the arrangements.

Mrs. Wagenknecht was born Aug. 25, 1929, in Washington County, the daughter of Stanley and Jessie Fishburn.

She graduated from Iowa Methodist Hospital School of Nursing and served as a nurse in Iowa City, Lawrence, Kansas, and Northfield, Vermont. Later she moved with her husband Burt and their family of four children to Liberty, Missouri, to follow Burt?s work as a college professor. She accepted a volunteer position as librarian at Franklin Elementary School in Liberty. Moving to a paid position there, she remained until she transferred to the library at Liberty Junior High School and, a few years later, to the library at William Jewell College, where she worked until 1994. She was an active member of the United Methodist Women, contributing her many talents to their various ministries, and contributed countless volunteer hours with the Liberty Hospital Auxiliary. She was a longtime member of the Northland Quilter?s Guild, donating many of her works to the Northland First Responders and to hospitals caring for children in crisis. She was a dedicated reader of books and especially enjoyed reading mysteries, and she shared a love of travel with her husband.

Surviving are three daughters, Beth Curasi and husband Richard, Laura Wagenknecht, and Lisa Wagenknecht; and one grandson.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Burdette ?Burt? Wagenknecht; one son, retired Navy MMC Paul R. Wagenknecht; one sister, Louise Henderson; and one brother, Dave Fishburn.