Leslie ""Les Leland Leuthaeuser

Leslie “Les” Leland Leuthaeuser, age 81, of Scottsbluff, passed away on October 19, 2016 at his home. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 22nd at Rejoice Lutheran Church with Pastor Helmut Yurk and Pastor Matt Hebbert officiating. Military honors by the Nebraska Army National Guard. Memorials will be established to the General Service Office for Alcoholics Anonymous. Tributes of sympathy may be left at www.dugankramer.com. Dugan Kramer Funeral Chapel assisted the family with arrangements.

Les was born on April 18, 1935, to Martin August Carl and Myrtle Lenora (Winfield) Leuthaeuser in St. Libory, Nebraska. He graduated from Fremont High School in 1953. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served 19 months overseas in the Korean Conflict. He married his high school sweetheart, Arlene “Skip” Hansen, on July 24, 1955 after completion of his service in the military.

He studied Architectural Engineering at Iowa State University and worked as a journeyman electrician in various capacities, including construction of the missile sites in western Nebraska and eastern Colorado, and the new site of West Nebraska General Hospital north of Scottsbluff in 1967. He served as the hospital’s Chief Engineer until 1980. In the years following until his retirement, he operated Les’ Home Improvement specializing in residential renovation and repair.

Les had a strong active commitment to the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous for over 50 years. He served as a group member, a state delegate, and as a General Service Board trustee. Les was known as being the first to welcome and include new members, generously sharing his experience and knowledge of the program. He was an advocate of tough love and could often be heard saying, “Keep on keeping on” and “It only gets gooder.”

Les enjoyed spending time in his backyard, patio, garden, and shop. One could find him working a jigsaw puzzle or sitting in his chair watching one of his favorite shows or solving various word puzzles. Friends and family will forever treasure decades of memories at Les and Skip’s house.

Les is survived by his son, Marty Leuthaeuser of Scottsbluff, and his children, Michael Scott Leuthaeuser of San Antonio, TX, Janelle and Garrett Curtis of Richmond, VA, Kelly Leuthaeuser and Colin Leuthaeuser of Omaha; daughter, Diane Leuthaeuser of Scottsbluff, and her children, Morgan and Kobie Bradley, and their boys, Hunter, Stormy, and Brecken, of Gering, McKenna Pieper of Laramie, WY, Derek Pieper and his fiancée, Taryn Becker, of Laramie, WY; daughter, Jan Leslie of Arvada, CO, and her children, Laura “Orc” Hancock and Haley Willoughby of Arvada, CO; and daughter and son-in-law, Pam and Matt Hebbert of Gering, and their children, Coulter Cooper and her fiancé, Matt Maestas of Torrington, Cassidy Cooper of Omaha, Micah Hebbert of Gering, Ty Hebbert of Omaha, Morgan and Rich Dailey and their boys, James and Andrew, of Casper, WY, and Alesa and Geoff Deter of Falls Church, VA. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Judy Leuthaeuser of Akron, OH; sister, Lorna Timm of San Angelo, TX; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Sandy and Rich Magill, of Alamo, TX; and their children and families.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Skip, of 60 years and his parents, Martin and Myrtle.