Earl Henry Leking
September 29, 1922 ~ April 27, 2008
Resided in:
Pueblo, CO
Earl Henry Leking, 85, of Pueblo, Colo., entered heaven on Sunday, April 27, 2008. Earl is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Anna; his beloved wife, Ruth; brothers, Raymond and Dale; and sister, Velma Clark. He is survived by his son, Merlin (Carol) Leking; and daughter, Denise (Robert) Tristano; grandchildren, Chris , Tony (Aimee) and Terri Tristano; great grandsons, Justin Tolan and Erik Tristano; close nephew, Tom Clark; several nieces and nephews; Shelby Wonnell and close friends.
He was a member of Tabor Lutheran Church and V.F.W. Post #3641. Earl loved to camp, fish, go to Cripple Creek and go out to have coffee with his friends. He enjoyed being with his family, visiting neighbors, and going to his favorite restaurants, Pass Key, Southwest Grill and the Pantry, where he considered his friends as extended family. He always enjoyed a good joke and often brought fresh fruit and gum to friends and family. Earl was always tinkering with something in his shed or taking care of his lawn, which is already completely green. Earl was drafted into the Army on Dec. 26, 1942. He served in the first infantry and later the third division where he was wounded by a German grenade but refused the purple heart. Earl landed in Africa and later Naples, Italy. He earned the rank of Private First Class, and was honorably discharged Dec. 10, 1945. Then worked for Rossford and Erie Army Depot in Ohio, transferred to the Pueblo Army Depot and retired in 1978. Earl was a loving father, grandfather, husband and friend. He will always be remembered as a gentle man who would help at any moment. Earl will be missed dearly by all who knew him. Services will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 30, 2008, at Tabor Lutheran Church, Colorado and Orman Ave., with the Reverend Mark Crates officiating. Military Honors by Pueblo Veterans' Ritual Team and interment will follow at, Imperial Memorial Gardens. Friends will gather in the church fellowship hall following the graveside service for lunch and to greet the family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Veterans of Foreign Wars or Tabor Lutheran Church, through Montgomery & Steward Funeral Directors, 1317 N. Main St., Pueblo, Colo. 81003. Online condolences, www.montgomerysteward.com
We learned of your loss after the funeral, but we want you to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you in this difficult time.
I used to work for Passkey on highway 50 and I remember Earl as one of those regular customers that one was happy to serve. It was an odd occurrence if we went without seeing him at least 3 times a week. I remember on several occasions he’d bring us fruit such as Rocky Ford cantaloupes. As a cook I didn’t know him as well as the servers, but I still remember him and wanted to offer my condolences.
Denise,
Our prayers are with you and your family at the loss of your father. May the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, embrace you with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I was shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of my “Uncle Earl.” He was the last of my aunts and uncles and it has been several years since we last saw him. I was in my teens when Earl, Ruth, Merlin and Denise moved from Ohio to Colorado. Since Aunt Ruth died in 1999, he always wrote a nice personal letter to me in his Christmas card. It meant alot that he still wanted to keep in touch. I will always remember his laugh, and how he truly enjoyed his friends and family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Merlin and Carl, Denise and Bob.
Dear Merlin & Carol,
We are so sorry for your loss. Tom feels very blessed to have had a chance to visit with your dad last week. He was quite a guy! May you find comfort in knowing that he is in a far better place. You are in our prayers. Tom & Pat Fedde
I work at Pass Key on Hwy 50 and whenever Earl came into the restaurant he brought a smile to all of our faces. He always had wonderful stories to share and pictures to show us. It was such an honor to know him and to know he considered me one of his “girls.” I will deeply miss Earl, as I will no longer have that special someone to share stories with. He knew my family as well and was always very kind to them and always asked about them. He was even nice enough to come to my graduation party when I graduated from high school. As I said before he will be deeply missed, but it was an honor to know and love Earl.