Marie Legris

She was born January 29, 1920, to George Regnier and Matilda Gregoire Regnier in Manteno, Illinois. The daughter of a proud, hard-working sharecropper family, Marie was the eighth of nine children during the Great Depression.

In 1942 Marie married Leo P. LeDuke, a U.S. Army hero who gave his life for his country in France three years later in 1945, leaving her a young war widow. A true “Rosie the Riveter,” she supported herself and the soldiers overseas by working at a munitions factory during the war.

Marie later said the hardest thing she ever did was to let herself fall in love again after that loss, yet her marriage in 1950 to Robert L. Legris in Bourbonnais, Illinois lasted more than 60 years. Their lasting union produced three children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, all of whom she loved dearly.

The couple moved their family to Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1966.They relocated to Fort Smith in 1970, brought to the city by work with Rheem, Inc. Fort Smith quickly became home to Marie and Bob and the couple remained here the rest of her life.

Marie retired from the Fort Smith Public Schools in 1985 after 11 years working in the school nutrition program, where she was known to countless children over the years as one of the friendly “cafeteria ladies.” She also worked for 12 years with 55 Plus Volunteer Services at Sparks Medical Center, and she and Bob always looked forward to preparing the graduation announcement mailings for the Leadership Fort Smith program.

She was a member of Christ the King Parish since 1970, and for many years sewed baptismal garments for the parish’s infants. Marie Legris will be long remembered as a generous, unassuming and caring woman who dedicated her life to supporting the causes she held dear, sharing the God she loved, and nurturing the many people in whom she believed. She never met a stranger, even on the streets of downtown New York City, much to the dismay and amusement of family members.

She is preceded in death by her parents, George and Matilda Regnier, her first husband, Leo P. LeDuke, and her eight siblings: Louise, Estelle, Arthur, May, Francis, Florence, Victor, and Bill.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Robert L. Legris; their three children: Jon Pierre Legris of Portland, Oregon, and Claude W. Legris and Paula Legris and Marc R. Legris and Barbara Legris, all of Fort Smith; three grandchildren: Angela Legris Dobbins and Steven Dobbins of Broomall, Penn., Justin C. Legris of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark., and Nicole Legris of Benton, Ill.; and two great-grandchildren: Matthew Dobbins and Emily Dobbins of Broomall, Penn.; as well as many friends and neighbors at Butterfield Place Retirement Living Community and from Christ the King Parish of Fort Smith.

Visitaion will be at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel, 6 p.m., on Thursday, February 17, with a Rosary at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be at Christ the King Catholic Church, on Friday, February 18 at 12 Noon, with burial to follow at 1 p.m. at the Fort Smith National Cemetery.

In addition to floral tributes, memorials may be made to Christ the King Church, 1920 S. Greenwood Ave., Fort Smith, AR 72901, Peachtree Hospice, 2910 Jenny Lind, Suite 4, Fort Smith, AR 72901 or the U.S. Marshals Museum, 100 Garrison Ave., Fort Smith, AR 72901

Pallbearers will be Gary Slack, Joe Lyons, Crystal Dopps, Dick Fuhrman, Phillip Doville and Jerry Muratore.

Online condolences may be sent to www.edwardsfuneralhome.com