Lepha Ruth Nisbett

Her father, Roy James Chatham, was a farmer and cattleman. Her mother, Edith Lenora (Lane) Chatham, was a home maker and mother to eleven children of which five are still living: Velma, Eulah, Roy, Naomi, and Virginia. When Lepha was born, her father owned a Ford dealership in Luray. Later he traded the dealership for a farm and eventually bought the Chatham family farm. Lepha was raised on the farm and graduated from Osborne High School in 1935. Osborne was 18 miles from the farm, requiring her to work in town for her room and board during the school year.

Upon graduation she moved to Topeka, Kansas where she met Robert Lee Nisbett and they were married on August 16, 1936. They had two boys: Donald Lee Nisbett (February 14, 1938) and Ralph Duane Nisbett (July 16, 1939), who passed away April 3, 1944. Robert (family and friends called him Lee) and Lepha were married 51 years before Robert passed away September 25, 1987. Robert and Lepha lived in Kansas City, Missouri from about 1942 to 1972. They then moved to the Portland, Oregon area to be with their son and daughter-in-law, Donald and Sally and their four Grandson, Donald, Robert, Frank, and Mark. She loved her family and was thrilled to get to know and be with: her seven great Grandsons (David, Joshua, Andrew, Zachary, Jeremy, Thomas, Hunter);one step great Grandson (Josh) two great Granddaughters, (Summer and Kelsey); and two great-great Grandsons (Jack and William).

Lepha was very artistic with sewing, needle work, and cooking. She made a variety of dresses, curtains, draperies, crochet pieces, and much more. She was well known in the family for her baking and cake decorating, including birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and other special occasions. Very special to Don and Sally was the spectacular wedding cake she made for their wedding. She was an avid cook, pastry maker, and canner. Her cinnamon rolls were ledgendary with her son and grandsons. Her three oldest grandsons (Donald, Robert, and Frank) while in route to a youth retreat ate 48 cinnamon rolls their Grandma Lepha had made for the whole group. Not realizing there were two layers until they ate all of first layer and discovered the second. This meant they had to eat the second layer for now there was not enough left for the whole group.

Lepha loved gardening and working in the soil. Her yard always had a variety of beautiful flowers. She always appreciated being able to prepare a meal with her home grown fruits and vegetables. She was known for her weekly hospitality to family and friends.

Lepha loved little children and was a day care school teacher for almost 20 years until she retired at the age of 80 years old. She taught four year olds to do many skills including reading. She was also a Bible class teacher of youngsters, including many of her Grandchildren for over 50 years.

Lepha a true believer in our heavenly Father and the hope of life we have in His beloved Son. She read the Bible daily. God's Spirit was truly with her and she manifested her faith in how she lived her life. She believed in speaking where the Bible speaks and being silent where the Bible is silent; doing things in Bible ways and calling things with Bible names. She looked forward to the heavenly home and was ready to go for many years. She is in the Savior's hands.

Her life was full and rich with joys and sorrows. She has left us all with a tremendous legacy and heritage of how we should live the Christian life by refusing evil and choosing good, and by repenting of short falls and turning back to God and his righteousness. Her favorite Psalm was the 23rd Psalm and that says it all: "YAHWEH is my shepherd I shall not want."