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Leland L. Kearney, age 70, of 7722 178th St., Chippewa Falls, town of Lafayette, died Wednesday evening, July 5, 2006, at Luther Hospital, Eau Claire.
He was born May 20, 1936, in Osceola, Iowa, the son of Darlene (Davis) and Lilbert Kearney. Lee graduated from Osceola High School in 1954 and then attended Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where he received his Music Education degree in 1958. He served in the U.S. Army in Arlington Heights, Ill. from 1960 until being honorably discharged in 1962.
Leland married Althea Christoffersen on Feb. 25, 1961, at Central Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls.
Lee taught music...
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Leland L. Kearney, age 70, of 7722 178th St., Chippewa Falls, town of Lafayette, died Wednesday evening, July 5, 2006, at Luther Hospital, Eau Claire.
He was born May 20, 1936, in Osceola, Iowa, the son of Darlene (Davis) and Lilbert Kearney. Lee graduated from Osceola High School in 1954 and then attended Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where he received his Music Education degree in 1958. He served in the U.S. Army in Arlington Heights, Ill. from 1960 until being honorably discharged in 1962.
Leland married Althea Christoffersen on Feb. 25, 1961, at Central Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls.
Lee taught music and English in Nora Springs, Iowa, and in Crystal Lake, Ill. before receiving his Masters in English at U.W., Eau Claire. He joined the English Department at U.W.E.C. in 1967 and taught for two years and then pursued his Doctoral Studies in English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1969 to 1971 returning to continue teaching at U.W.E.C. He left the university and started the Leland Kearney Piano Studio in 1972 in Eau Claire where he continued to teach until his retirement in 2001.
Lee was active in church music from the age of eleven, serving churches in Iowa and Illinois before coming to Wisconsin where he served as choir director and organist at Our Saviours' Lutheran Church, Chippewa Falls; Christ Episcopal Church, Eau Claire; and First Presbyterian Church, Chippewa Falls. He established the Celebration Concert Series at the First Presbyterian Church in 1996.
Leland and Althea have resided on Lake Wissota since 1990 and have spent winters in Nags Head, N.C. since 2001. He has served as pianist and choir director at Roanoke Island, N.C. Presbyterian Church and the Outer Banks Senior Chorus since 2002. He continued to teach piano and accompany local musicians and artists. He was also a member of the Roanoke Island Chamber Trio.
Survivors include: his wife Althea; two daughters, Margaret (Scott) Dittloff, San Antonio, Texas, Elizabeth (Greg Schick) Kearney, Oakland, Calif.; one son James (Andrea) Kearney, Falls Church, Va.; two sisters, Charlotte (Don) Richmond, Des Moines, Iowa, Charlene (Neil) Adams, Osceola, Iowa; three brothers, Carol (Janice) Kearney, Des Moines, Iowa, Dick (Jean) Kearney, Marshalltown, Iowa, Darrell (Karen) Kearney, Des Moines, Iowa. He is also survived by: two grandchildren, Alan Dittloff, Katherine Kearney; nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and many friends.
A funeral service for Lee will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, July 10 at the First Presbyterian Church, Chippewa Falls with Rev. Dr. Barry Boyer officiating.
Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m., Sunday at the Pederson-Volker Funeral Chapel, Chippewa Falls and Monday at the church one hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial contributions in Lees' honor to First Presbyterian Church Music Fund, Outer Banks Senior Chorus Music Fund or the music scholarship fund of the donors' choice.
[from Chippewa Herald (Chippewa Falls, WI), 08 Jul 2006]
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