Obituary for Joanne VanBeber
Joanne Childs Leininger VanBeber, June 28, 1932 - February 20, 2024
Joanne (Childs) Leininger VanBeber, Bonner Springs, KS, passed away February 20, 2024 peacefully at home, in the embrace of her daughter, Susan Leininger, and her granddaughter, Emma Stucki. She was born June 28, 1932, in Highland, KS, to parents Ralph Murray “Tex” Childs and Edythe “Edith” (McCauley) Childs. The family owned and operated several businesses, and lived in Leona, Topeka, Junction City, Parsons, St. Joe, and Everest, KS. Joanne had a beautiful voice and was a frequent soloist for weddings and other celebrations. Joanne graduated from Everest High School in 1950, and then attended the University of Kansas, majoring in art. It was at KU that she met her best friend, Gladys (Henry) Rollins, becoming family for life. She then returned home to Everest to work for her father’s Sunflower Co-Op Creamery, the family’s appliance store, and then Freeland Drug Store. Joanne then moved to Kansas City, MO, and began work at Colgate-Palmolive, in the IBM Dept. The Childs family would begin a tradition later carried out through four generations, of Lake of the Ozarks adventures at their beloved Two Waters Resort with life-long friends, the Carringtons.
In 1962, she married Charles “Bud” Leininger, and in 1963 gave birth to a daughter, Susan Joanne Leininger. The family lived in multiple Kansas City, KS locations, where “Bud” served as a police officer and detective for the KCK police department. Joanne continued her interest in art, creating lovely oil and acrylic paintings, and developing her skills in the ancient silk painting technique, Batik. Joanne was also working as a lay-out artist at Inter-Collegiate Press, and taught art at Dutch Cottage Preschool. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Joanne, Susan and Bud participated in many art shows, including those at Metcalf South, The Country Club Plaza, and Apple Valley Farm. Untold numbers of lucky art lovers became owners of her beautiful creations. During this time, Joanne served on the Junction Elementary PTA, was a Blue Bird/Campfire leader, and as an executive officer for the Kansas Girls Chorus. Joanne also taught many art classes, for Johnson County Parks and Recreation, and in schools, and social organizations over many decades. Her Batik art silk scarves would later become her specialty.
The family moved to Bonner Springs, KS in 1973, where they had some land, and began a new adventure as a 4-H family, raising animals and becoming leaders in the Chaparral 4-H Club, and were highly involved in the county 4-H program. Joanne worked for the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Chieftain newspaper for many years, then as a secretary for the Wyandotte County Extension Office. The family owned and operated an antique mall, Country Junction Antiques, in Bonner Springs, and Joanne actively supported the community in so many ways. Joanne and Bud proudly shared many years of activities with their daughter, Susan, especially Bonner Springs High School music and theater endeavors. Joanne enjoyed several years of working at Sunflower Gallery, Lawrence, the Parkville Fine Arts Gallery, and Cottonwoods and Willows, Parkville. Joanne loved to visit her daughter, Susan, while she lived in the Washington, DC area. Some of her favorite adventures were eating crab by the shore of the Chesapeake Bay, visiting the ocean, and being serenaded on her birthday, by a tram full of tourists on the Washington Mall, while Susan worked as a tour guide.
In June of 1996, Joanne became a grandma, “GaGa” to Emma Kathryn Stucki, born to daughter Susan and husband Keith Stucki. She lost her dear Bud in 1998, then found love a second time with Clarence Irvin VanBeber. They married in 2002 and enjoyed seven more years together. She adored being a part of his lovely family, and “Mr. Van'' was very dear to Susan and Emma. She worked as a librarian for seventeen years, retiring from the Bonner Springs City Library in 2005. Joanne was active in the community, often contributing her talents and creativity wherever she could. She painted lush murals for the “old” Bonner Springs Library storytime room and for the Bonner Springs United Methodist church classrooms. She designed multiple Tiblow Days floats for the library and years of helping create the scenery for the Bonner Springs City Library Children’s Performing Arts Program. Joanne was a proud member of the Friends of the Bonner Springs City Library, New Century Club, PEO, and United Methodist Women. Joanne was a second parent to Emma, raising her alongside her mother, Susan. She delighted in attending Emma’s school events, choir, band, and musical theater performances. Joanne, Susan and Emma, became known as a trio who would conquer life’s challenges together with great amounts of love, laughter and precious moments. Every step of the way, Joanne provided support, encouragement, and so much fun.
Joanne was preceded in death by parents, Ralph Murray “Tex” Childs and Edythe “Edith” Kathryn (McCauley) Childs, a brother, Roger Murray Childs, first husband Charles Edward “Bud” Leininger, his parents, Dorothy Ione (Bruce) Leininger and Charles Hiram Leininger, her second husband, Clarence Irvin VanBeber, and former son-in-law, Keith Brown Stucki.
She leaves daughter, Susan Joanne Leininger, and granddaughter, Emma Kathryn Stucki, of the home, nephews Darcy Vernon Childs, and Roger Dean Childs, niece Kimberly Kay (Childs) Culver, Angie (Skelton) Childs, Kegan, and RayneAnne Childs, Debby (VanBeber) Marmon, Sue (VanBeber) Russell, and their families, in addition to many cousins and their families, and so very many friends who meant so much to her over her ninety-one years on earth. Special thanks to the Phoenix Hospice Team.
A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at the Bonner Springs United Methodist Church, 425 W. Morse Ave., Bonner Springs, KS 66012. There will be a visitation time at 1:00 pm, followed by a service at 2:00 pm, and a Celebration of Life to follow. The family wishes to celebrate the joy, the art, and the memories of Joanne’s beautiful life. We encourage those who have her lovely scarves to wear them in her honor.
Donations in Joanne’s name may be made to the Bonner Springs City Library and the Bonner Springs United Methodist Church
Joanne (Childs) Leininger VanBeber, Bonner Springs, KS, passed away February 20, 2024 peacefully at home, in the embrace of her daughter, Susan Leininger, and her granddaughter, Emma Stucki. She was born June 28, 1932, in Highland, KS, to parents Ralph Murray “Tex” Childs and Edythe “Edith” (McCauley) Childs. The family owned and operated several businesses, and lived in Leona, Topeka, Junction City, Parsons, St. Joe, and Everest, KS. Joanne had a beautiful voice and was a frequent soloist for weddings and other celebrations. Joanne graduated from Everest High School in 1950, and then attended the University of Kansas, majoring in art. It was at KU that she met her best friend, Gladys (Henry) Rollins, becoming family for life. She then returned home to Everest to work for her father’s Sunflower Co-Op Creamery, the family’s appliance store, and then Freeland Drug Store. Joanne then moved to Kansas City, MO, and began work at Colgate-Palmolive, in the IBM Dept. The Childs family would begin a tradition later carried out through four generations, of Lake of the Ozarks adventures at their beloved Two Waters Resort with life-long friends, the Carringtons.
In 1962, she married Charles “Bud” Leininger, and in 1963 gave birth to a daughter, Susan Joanne Leininger. The family lived in multiple Kansas City, KS locations, where “Bud” served as a police officer and detective for the KCK police department. Joanne continued her interest in art, creating lovely oil and acrylic paintings, and developing her skills in the ancient silk painting technique, Batik. Joanne was also working as a lay-out artist at Inter-Collegiate Press, and taught art at Dutch Cottage Preschool. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Joanne, Susan and Bud participated in many art shows, including those at Metcalf South, The Country Club Plaza, and Apple Valley Farm. Untold numbers of lucky art lovers became owners of her beautiful creations. During this time, Joanne served on the Junction Elementary PTA, was a Blue Bird/Campfire leader, and as an executive officer for the Kansas Girls Chorus. Joanne also taught many art classes, for Johnson County Parks and Recreation, and in schools, and social organizations over many decades. Her Batik art silk scarves would later become her specialty.
The family moved to Bonner Springs, KS in 1973, where they had some land, and began a new adventure as a 4-H family, raising animals and becoming leaders in the Chaparral 4-H Club, and were highly involved in the county 4-H program. Joanne worked for the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Chieftain newspaper for many years, then as a secretary for the Wyandotte County Extension Office. The family owned and operated an antique mall, Country Junction Antiques, in Bonner Springs, and Joanne actively supported the community in so many ways. Joanne and Bud proudly shared many years of activities with their daughter, Susan, especially Bonner Springs High School music and theater endeavors. Joanne enjoyed several years of working at Sunflower Gallery, Lawrence, the Parkville Fine Arts Gallery, and Cottonwoods and Willows, Parkville. Joanne loved to visit her daughter, Susan, while she lived in the Washington, DC area. Some of her favorite adventures were eating crab by the shore of the Chesapeake Bay, visiting the ocean, and being serenaded on her birthday, by a tram full of tourists on the Washington Mall, while Susan worked as a tour guide.
In June of 1996, Joanne became a grandma, “GaGa” to Emma Kathryn Stucki, born to daughter Susan and husband Keith Stucki. She lost her dear Bud in 1998, then found love a second time with Clarence Irvin VanBeber. They married in 2002 and enjoyed seven more years together. She adored being a part of his lovely family, and “Mr. Van'' was very dear to Susan and Emma. She worked as a librarian for seventeen years, retiring from the Bonner Springs City Library in 2005. Joanne was active in the community, often contributing her talents and creativity wherever she could. She painted lush murals for the “old” Bonner Springs Library storytime room and for the Bonner Springs United Methodist church classrooms. She designed multiple Tiblow Days floats for the library and years of helping create the scenery for the Bonner Springs City Library Children’s Performing Arts Program. Joanne was a proud member of the Friends of the Bonner Springs City Library, New Century Club, PEO, and United Methodist Women. Joanne was a second parent to Emma, raising her alongside her mother, Susan. She delighted in attending Emma’s school events, choir, band, and musical theater performances. Joanne, Susan and Emma, became known as a trio who would conquer life’s challenges together with great amounts of love, laughter and precious moments. Every step of the way, Joanne provided support, encouragement, and so much fun.
Joanne was preceded in death by parents, Ralph Murray “Tex” Childs and Edythe “Edith” Kathryn (McCauley) Childs, a brother, Roger Murray Childs, first husband Charles Edward “Bud” Leininger, his parents, Dorothy Ione (Bruce) Leininger and Charles Hiram Leininger, her second husband, Clarence Irvin VanBeber, and former son-in-law, Keith Brown Stucki.
She leaves daughter, Susan Joanne Leininger, and granddaughter, Emma Kathryn Stucki, of the home, nephews Darcy Vernon Childs, and Roger Dean Childs, niece Kimberly Kay (Childs) Culver, Angie (Skelton) Childs, Kegan, and RayneAnne Childs, Debby (VanBeber) Marmon, Sue (VanBeber) Russell, and their families, in addition to many cousins and their families, and so very many friends who meant so much to her over her ninety-one years on earth. Special thanks to the Phoenix Hospice Team.
A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at the Bonner Springs United Methodist Church, 425 W. Morse Ave., Bonner Springs, KS 66012. There will be a visitation time at 1:00 pm, followed by a service at 2:00 pm, and a Celebration of Life to follow. The family wishes to celebrate the joy, the art, and the memories of Joanne’s beautiful life. We encourage those who have her lovely scarves to wear them in her honor.
Donations in Joanne’s name may be made to the Bonner Springs City Library and the Bonner Springs United Methodist Church