Leland Roush was born to Raymond R Roush and Stella Olliff Roush on Sept. 12, 1931. He began his new life in Glory on Feb. 7, 2023.
Leland was a sickly child at first, but through the power of prayer and eating lots of dirt, he got much better. His much-loved cousins, Wayne and Arden, had a pony while they were growing up, and Leland had a bicycle. Leland always insisted on riding their pony when visiting them, and they insisted on riding his bike when they visited him.
Sunday mornings would always find him in church, having been dragged there by his mother. He continued that tradition with his own family. Leland gave his life to Christ at an early age and never quit attending church or helping in any way possible at church until he couldn’t do it anymore. Even away from his church, one of his first questions when visiting him in Sun Porch was, “How was the church doing?”
Leland attended the country school south of the farm through eighth grade. He attended high school in Lebanon, where he graduated with the class of 1949. In 1952, he was drafted into the Army to serve in the Korean War. He was trained as a medic. He didn’t say much about his time over there except during a ceasefire order, the North Koreans and Chinese were determined to send back every captured artillery round through the air, plus he lost a very good friend who was a fellow medic and Christian brother from Ohio. He volunteered to be a medic on the boat rides to and from Korea, which entitled him to keep his hand in the Dramamine jar a lot.
Leland was dismissed from the Army in 1954, and married the love of his life, Imogene Grace Deichen, on Aug. 22, 1954. They settled on the family farm southeast of Lebanon where Leland farmed all his life. They had four kids, Cindy, Kirk, Kelly, and Connie. Leland had several “hired hands” over the years until his own kids became old enough to be proteges (slaves). The grandchildren continued in those roles. Grandpa was molding character and imparting wisdom, but it probably didn’t seem like it at the time. Those hired hands (Larry Jennings, Charles Luke, Roger Fricker) were like family also.
While his kids were in school, Leland and Imogene traveled many miles to high school sporting events. Later, they attended many events for their grandkids. In later years, Leland spent many Saturday afternoons watching K-state football and basketball. Sunday afternoon was reserved for pro football, predominately the Chiefs. His one regret was never attending a Kansas City Royals game.
He thoroughly enjoyed organizing and hosting two “Roush” cousin reunions of his fellow first cousins from the Roush family. On the rare times Leland and Imogene left home, the trip always included visiting relatives in various places, no matter how far away they were or how distant they were related. They also stayed with them while on the road, and the relatives were always welcome to do the same at their house.
Leland was preceded in death by his wife Imogene, his parents, his sister Marjean. Those left to mourn his passing are his daughter Cindy (Arlyn) Steinert of Hoisington, son Kirk of Carrollton, Texas, son Kelly (Sue) of Lebanon, and daughter Connie (Mike) Tholstrup of Concordia: 10 grandchildren: Jason of Hoisington, Phuong (Chris) Euless, Texas, Emily of Houston, Texas, Thomas, Austin, Texas, Scott (Brandi) of Centennial, Colo., Ashley (Keith) of Kansas City, Kan., Jesse (Shelby) of Bolckow, Mo., Kaden (Emily) Lebanon, Jordan (Tecia) McPherson, Blaine (Katie) of Concordia; 13 great grandchildren, Brock, Lilliah, Liam, Isabelle, Oliver, Violet, Paxton, Finley, Otto, Cooper, Quincy, Corwin, Everett and two more in the oven; three in laws, Herb and April Deichen, Louise Kingsbury and numerous nieces and nephews and friends.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, at the mortuary. Celebration of Life Services will be held Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at the Lebanon Christian Church. Burial will follow in the Sweet Home Cemetery, Lebanon. The family requests memorial contributions be given to the Lebanon Christian Church and can be sent in care of the mortuary.
To leave an online condolence visit www.rfmortuaries.com. Arrangements are entrusted to Rentschler Family Mortuaries, Simmons-Rentschler Chapel, Smith Center.