Leonard Calvin Parker, 92 formerly of Manhattan and Wamego died in Frisco, Texas on February 13, 2020. He was born on November 21, 1927 in rural Republic, Kansas to Charles D. and Ruby Irene (Powers) Parker. Leonard attended and graduated from one room country elementary schools near Republic and graduated from Republic High School.
He attended Grand Island Business College in Grand Island, Nebraska before he entered the Army Air Force as World War II was near an end. Leonard flew Search and Rescue Missions as a Radar Specialist based on the Azores Islands in the North Atlantic.
After serving his country he returned to Kansas to earn a B.S and M.S Degrees from Kansas State University. While at K-State he met Eula Mae Taylor. They were married at St Luke's Lutheran Church in Manhattan on August 23, 1952. They were blessed with two sons (David and Larry). David and his wife Nancy blessed them with two grandchildren, Michael and Katie. Larry and his wife Sue blessed them with one grandson, Adam. Adam was born 5 months after Larry’s untimely death.
Leonard's career path included, Vocational Agricultural Instructor at Ellis, Kansas, County Extension Agent in both Lyons and Smith Center, Kansas, Farm Management Association Economist at Wamego, Kansas, and the last 12 years as Professor and Administrator of the Kansas Farm Management Assocations for the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University. Leonard retired in April 1990. Leonard also served on the Wamego USD 320 school board for a number of years. After retirement, Leonard and Eula Mae spent over twenty years volunteering at the Manhattan hospital.
Leonard is survived by a son David (Nancy) of Frisco, Texas, daughter-in-law Sue Mowder (Jim) of Topeka, Kansas, three grandchildren, Michael (Erica) Parker of Spring, Texas, a granddaughter Katie Parker of Frisco, Texas, and Adam Mowder of Washington DC, two great-grandchildren, Aiden and Emersyn Parker; sister Joyce (Darwin) Bohler of Statesboro, Georgia and sister-in-law Audrey Parker of Owatonna, Minnesota and numerous nieces and nephews.
Leonard was preceded in death by Eula Mae on September 15, 2019, his parents, his son Larry and brothers Charles Parker and Donald Parker.
Funeral services will be held at 9:30 A.M. Saturday, February 22nd, at the St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 330 Sunset Street, Manhattan, with Reverend Michael J. Schmidt officiating. Interment with military honors will follow in the Wamego City Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 7:30 P.M. Friday, February 21st, at the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home.