Lefa Maddock

Lefa Maddock (age 96), formerly of Mission, KS has gone to be with the Lord Jesus Christ on January 26, 2020. At the time of her passing, she was living at Lexington Park Health and Rehab, in Topeka, KS. Funeral services will be Saturday, Feb 1 at Chapel Hill - Butler Funeral Home, 701 N 94 St, KC, Ks, 66112. Visitation will be 12:00-1:30 pm, chapel service will be 1:30 pm with graveside service to follow at the Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.

She was born Lefa Almeda Watts on January 6, 1924 in Parsons, KS to John and Goldie Watts. At the age of 8, she moved to Kansas City, KS with her parents and siblings. She attended Rosedale High School where she played the clarinet and marched in the school band during football games and parades including the American Royal parade. Lefa maintained top grades throughout her schooling and graduated in 1942. She was a member of the Rosedale High School Alumni Association. She attended every reunion and functioned as a reunion events planner.

While still in high school, Lefa met Howard, the love of her life at the El Torreon roller skating rink in Kansas City, MO. They fell in love and married on February 03, 1943 in Chicago where Howard was then stationed during WW II. They married during a blizzard with only one day’s leave for Howard. The justice of the peace thought the young couple was rushing things, not waiting for a better day and said this marriage had better last. Well, it certainly did! They celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary with their family and friends in 2018.

They moved into a new house in Mission, Kansas in 1951. This house was in a sub-division of homes built upon land previously a part of the Shawnee Indian Reservation, and later owned by individual members of the Shawnee Tribe. They lived there for 65 years, raising 4 children and becoming active in their church and community. In February 2016, they moved into an assisted living facility in Overland Park, KS. In November of 2019, Lefa moved to Lexington Park Health and Rehab in Topeka, KS to be close to her daughter and primary caregiver Janice.

Lefa was a wonderful example to her family and friends as a wife, mother, sister and daughter. She had many friends and enjoyed socializing and entertaining. She was a dedicated daughter, caring for her mother through her declining years. For her children, she researched the best location and school district before moving to Mission, Kansas. She planned for the future and encouraged her children to save for retirement. She was an example of how that benefited her after retiring at age 60. She was very close to her 5 brothers and sisters, enjoying many family events and holidays together. Her children grew up understanding the importance of family. To this day, the Watts Family Reunion is held every 2 years.

She and Howard enjoyed many retirement years together. They owned land in Rich Hill, Missouri where Howard grew up. They made frequent trips from Mission, KS to oversee the management of their 5 head of cattle and harvested the produce of the land: blackberries, walnuts, honey and wood which they sold at the KC area farmers market and grocery stores. Together they extracted and bottled honey from their bee hives in Mission, Louisburg and Rich Hill. They enjoyed square dancing and line dancing since the 1950s. Lefa made many square dance dresses for herself and matching shirts for Dad. They loved many years of camping with the National Campers and Hikers Association (NCHA). They did tent camping in Kansas, Missouri, Alabama, Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona - to name a few. They tried to visit every state capitol and learned the history of the states with their children. On many occasions, she went fishing with Howard and fried up the catch of the day, including frog legs on one occasion. She did well as a woman who grew up not liking bugs and dirt!

Lefa and Howard were active in retirement social clubs such the Keen Agers and the Mission Bank coffee club. Before the age of mobile phones, her grown children complained of the difficulty reaching them at home. They were on the go. The 2 of them had 3 vehicles. She was a role model for staying active long after retirement.

Lefa was very active in her church at Westwood Christian Church. She remembers knowing and loving the Lord from an early age. She was a vacation bible school teacher, choir member, deaconess, volunteer at Cross-Lines Community Outreach to help those in need, and visited those who couldn’t attend church. She received an honorary Deaconate Emeritus award for her many years of service as a deaconess and church clerk. She encouraged her husband and children to be active in the church.

Her many community activities included Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, PTA and volunteering with her husband as Election Workers for many years. She bowled on leagues, winning several trophies. She loved games, and was very competitive. She and her son-in-law won the family reunion horse shoe competition. She usually won at Croquet. She loved the card game of Bridge and was in a Bridge club for years.

As an accomplished seamstress, she made clothes for her children and herself. Her wedding picture shows her in a Navy-style wedding dress she made to match Howard's Navy uniform. She was an avid gardener, producing beautiful gardens of roses and many other varieties of flowers.

She loved music, especially marching band, country and southern gospel music. She taught herself to play the piano and encouraged each of her children to learn a musical instrument. She and Howard enjoyed attending Gaither and Statler Brothers concerts.

After her younger children were in school, Lefa rejoined the workforce part time. In the spring, she worked as a key punch operator for the IRS. During the Christmas seasons, she worked for the Kenner toy company, displaying and demonstrating Kenner toys in department stores in the Johnson County area. She advanced to district manager over NE Kansas. Once the younger children were in Junior HS, she began working as a para professional in the Shawnee Mission School District, first at Ridgeview Grade School, then Shawnee Mission North and Shawnee Mission East High Schools. She retired in 1984. She loved teaching special needs students at Ridgeview. Years later, former students came up to her and said how much they appreciated her guidance and patience in their education. She was a life time member of the Kansas Association of Retired School Personnel (KARSP) and active in the Johnson County chapter throughout her retirement years.

She had a beautiful smile with pearly white teeth. Her husband called her his “Blue-Eyed Beauty”. She was always a lady and gracious even into her declining years. She loved people. She did not forget her long-time friends and kept in touch regularly. Her children appreciated the wisdom she imparted to them over the years.

Lefa was preceded in death by her parents and 4 siblings, and more recently her husband Howard Maddock and son Daniel Maddock. She leaves behind her sister Anna Louise McKown (Delos) of Auburn, AL and children Janice Hummel (Dick) of Topeka, KS; James Maddock (Terry) of Whitesboro, TX, Leanne Harrell (Mark) of Glendale, AZ and daughter-in-law Mary Maddock of Raytown, MO. Lefa has 9 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and many nephews, nieces and cousins.

The family would like to thank Lexington Park Health and Rehab for their wonderful, loving care. They were focused on meeting her needs and comfort. They were very accommodating to the family during Lefa's stay.

Also, a special thanks is extended to Elara Caring Hospice teams, from both the Leawood and Topeka branches, for their excellent care and support. Words cannot fully express appreciation for their many hours of compassion and care with Lefa and support to her and the family.

Memorial Contributions may be made to Elara Caring Hospice, 901 NE River Road, Suite 101, Topeka, KS 66616.