Leon "Lefty" Schlesinger, 76, of Mendota and Okeechobee, Fla., died Aug. 10,
2013, in his Mendota home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Clarion with the Rev. Kevin Weeks officiating. Burial will be at Clarion Lutheran
Cemetery, Clarion Township.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Tuesday at Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota.
Mr. Schlesinger was born Nov. 11, 1936, in Harris Hospital, Mendota to Marvin
and Vera (Bieser) Schlesinger. He married Marlene Ehlers on July 3, 1955, in Zion
Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Leon started his school days at Schlesinger Country School in Welland and graduated
from Mendota High School in 1954. He took at job at the Mendota Farmers
Co-op. Soon after, he began a successful farming career in the LaMoille area that
spanned five decades. Leon served on the Van Orin Co-op board, Clarion Church
Council, LaMoille Township board Clarion Church Cemetery Board and was a leader
with the Clarion Comets 4-H club. He also drove the school bus for many years for
LaMoille Community School District.
Leon retired to homes in Mendota and Okeechobee. His hobbies included fishing
and playing cards. He avidly followed the Chicago Cubs and Bears.
He is survived by one son, Kim (Lynn) Schlesinger of LaMoille; two daughters,
Jane (Glenn) Faber of LaMoille and Gaye (Arlen) Molln of Rockford; four grandchildren,
Jenica (Brad) Cole of Peoria, Cole Faber of LaMoille, Carla Schlesinger of
LaMoille and Taylor Molln of Rockford; two great-granddaughters, Grace Schlesinger
and Hadley Cole; his mother, Vera Schlesinger of Mendota; and one brother, Elwood
(Ruth) Schlesinger of Grand Blanc, Mich.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Marlene on Oct. 31, 1981; his father, Marvin
Schlesinger; one sister, Marilyn Payne and one grandson, Trevor Schlesinger.
Memorials may be directed to Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Clarion,
Mendota Lutheran Home or Mendota Fire Department.