Leeta May LUMPKINS

On Monday, October 17, 2022, Leeta M Lumpkins, passed away at age 89 in St. Charles, Missouri. Known to close friends as Lee, she was born near Fremont, Mo on December 1, 1932, to Doil and Marie (Black) Yardley. She grew up in Southern Missouri and spent her adult life in St. Charles and later in Warren County. Her upbringing was modest. Her family struggled to allow her to continue in school when she begged to go. They needed her at home. She had to start a grade level over more than once because of illness or a family move or lack of transportation. She kept going as long as she could. When she couldn't go to formal school, she used the library and kept learning on her own. She became an avid researcher. She valued the written word and studied her dictionary and thesaurus regularly. She was an incredible resource, inspiring everyone around her to continually grow and improve academically, culturally, emotionally, and physically. She never turned away from hard work if the reward was worthwhile and worth doing right. She was a thinker & a doer. She was drawn to people who made her think. She encouraged others to do the same, to think for themselves, and to share ideas. She believed in lifelong learning. Lee had many interests throughout the years. She consistently strived to improve herself, overcome her fears and be a better person. She was never one to sit on the sidelines. She believed in getting involved and helping out and making your voice heard. She joined clubs and took classes. She served on boards. She showed up, volunteered, and participated. She voted and made sure everyone knew about it. She always tried to find a way to get things done if she felt it was important. Lee loved to read and wrote short stories and poems. She read her work during the Coffee House open mic nights. Not only did she read her work to live audiences, but she was proud to be published. She participated in book clubs and writing groups, supporting and encouraging beginning writers. She took college classes in creative writing and found a Saturday Writers Group to network with others. Another interest was genealogy which combined her love of family, history, and research. She had a phenomenal memory of dates and facts. She enjoyed traveling to libraries large and small to search for corroborating evidence to support a line of research or to rule it out. She made our ancestors come to life in her retelling of their stories around kitchen tables or bonfires or on walks in the woods. Anything we know about where we came from, comes from her telling and retelling those stories from any era, of any branch of the family. She could pick it up wherever someone asked and she could bring it to life and tell it either forward through their children or backward to where they came from and how they got there, how they live, and how they died. She wrote a family newsletter for many years, adapting it as technology improved. She belonged to numerous Historical and Genealogical societies. Lee picked up technology like it was made for her. She was proficient with different operating systems and understood the functionality of a Smartphone from the start. When computers went from stand-alone terminals to the internet, she took some classes so she could get the most out of her personal computer. She would rather text you than talk on a phone call. Send her a music link and she knew what to do. Lee enjoyed being outdoors, gardening, hiking, and foraging. She had a tremendous memory and an eye for flora. She knew most plants on sight, whether wild or domestic, large or tiny, native or imported. If she didn't know it, she'd look it up. She enjoyed a good bonfire, even better if someone would sing or tell stories. Everyone loved her stories! She traveled extensively, visiting family and seeing the country, collecting rocks, touring historical sites & Arboretums, and collecting orchids for her greenhouse. She loved being surrounded by beautiful things. She and her husband Ray were avid orchid enthusiasts and frequently won awards for their orchid displays. They were members of the Missouri Botanical Garden, the American Orchid Society, and the Orchid Society of St Louis. She appreciated live art, music, theatre, painting, and sculpture. She loved any kind of music, but especially blues, jazz, or rock n roll. Music to dance to. She went to hear live music as often as she could. She knew many local musicians and venues. She was a regular at the Whittaker Jazz Festival, Music on Main, and Concerts in the Park and was an active supporter of Act Two, City Players, and the Muny. Her motto was "If you can walk, you can dance". Near the end, we told her that if her feet couldn't move, she could dance in her head. To which she said, "It's not the same". She leaves behind a large family who will miss her fiery spirit. Her children are Barbara, Karen, Debra, Janet, and Jeff. Grandchildren are Casey,Fellina,Hannah,Levi,Megan,Saxon,Shelby,Skye,Susan,Terah,Winter. 10 great-grandchildren, and her sisters Wanda Vaughn and Beverly Elmore. She is preceded in death by her husband, Ray Rapplean, sister, Anna Grant, brothers, Melvin Yardley, and Harold Don Yardley, 2 siblings who did not live past infancy, her parents Doil and Marie (Black) Yardley, and her first husband Arden Ray Lumpkins, 2 great-grandchildren who did not survive and great-grandson Ayden who died in infancy. No funeral services are planned at this time. She would love for you to get together for a garden party in her honor, with fancy dress and swinging music. Cocktails and dancing if desired. No curfew or closing time. We’ve made arrangements for her cremation & a private burial at Oak Grove Cemetery in St Charles. It's under a small maple tree, near a statue. Lee will be there when laughter & stories are being shared, as you linger with friends over coffee or go out on the town for music & dancing, or enjoy an afternoon of art galleries, a live show, or a class just for fun. Watching that sunset as you wind up a full day. That's when Lee will be with you. She asked that contributions be made in her honor. She was a regular contributor to many charitable organizations including Alzheimer's Association, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society, and the St Josephs Indian School.

Leeta May LUMPKINS

December 1, 1932 - October 17, 2022