Lela Faye Meirowsky

Lela, daughter of Charles and Zora Ishmael was born February 12, 1923 and had a twin sister Leona in Chillicothe, Mo. She was one of 7 children and talked many times about her childhood where the family had a dairy while growing up.

Lela married James J. Meirowsky on December 24, 1944 in California, while Jim was getting ready to deploy to the Aleutian Islands serving in WWII. She was always committed to helping others and playing the supportive roll that was needed and at the same time was always a trendsetter in her time. (She often bragged that she was able to land a job with Watkins Company where she could wear pants and drive a delivery truck, which was unheard in those days) After the War Jim and Lela arrived in Liberty, MO in 1947 where Jim went to work for W.W. Whiteside at Whiteside Jewelry store and later purchased the store in 1951. Lela again, played the supportive role always aiding in the business, whether it was purchasing, advertising, bridal registry or doing engraving for the store. She was a member of the Liberty Soroptimist, Glenaire Garden Club, and the First Presbyterian church along with many other organizations.

Her favorite hobbies were fishing; riding horses, cooking, painting and especially mushroom hunting but her favorite was camping and traveling with Jim in an Airstream trailer all across the country.

After she and Jim retired she volunteered at the Liberty Hospital and loved talking with people as they would enter and “help them” with whatever they needed.

She loved big family get togethers, cooking large meals making homemade hot rolls or bread. One of her signature breakfasts was homemade waffles of which many people have been guests.

Her grandchildren and great grandchildren were always given great love and she especially liked to make sure they were “having fun” whether it was funny faces, riding 3 wheelers, card games, dressing up, or taking them to garage sales to find special treasures. She was the perfect role model in making them realize that God should always be a part of your life and that the golden rule of “do unto others as you would like them to do unto you” was just the way it should be. She had two children Steve and Pam who helped her after Jim had passed away with so many of “life’s chores.” Her daughter- in- law Becky was always there to “take care” of anything that was needed after Jim was gone, and often times, she would say, “I’m in good hands with Becky.” Trudy was always the one who could get Lela to laugh, even when she thought she had forgotten how and she was always quick to make sure that Trudy knew she was “special “ and a part of the family.

All of her grown grandchildren and spouses loved to come to her house and stay for a big dinner, and she always loved it, when everyone would be laughing, loving, and together telling old stories about the “good old days” of growing up with Grandma.

When dementia was increasing later in Lela’s life, she made sure she was doing her part to take care of herself by leaving herself cheat sheets- “what to do when I get up” or “when I go to bed” along with thousands of “notes” she would have for Steve, Becky or Pam with questions of things she needed or something she thought was important to be addressed.

Her faith was amazing and it is evident in a note she left for us today in her own handwriting and her take on what it meant.

Genesis 1:20-21 And God said let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life… and it was good.

“I think that same someone is a guiding force in my life. HE is the light that leads me through the week, back and forth as we travel, and decisions that are made during the week. Helping people, whether it be to listen to people who need to be listened to, or someone who is showing their love through a gift to a friend, a mother, a grandmother etc..So much can be done if only we will allow HIM to have his way in our hearts. The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything- they just make the most of everything they have!”

Friends and family may attend visitation and memorial service to celebrate Lela’s life Saturday, October 21, 2017 visitation from 10:00-12:00 with services immediately following at Church-Archer-Pasley Funeral Home 119 E. Franklin St. in Liberty, Mo. Burial at Glenridge cemetery in Liberty, Mo.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Lela’s name are made to: Lady of Mercy Country Home, Valley Manor & Rehabilitation Center, or 3 Rivers Hospice.