Fred's Mother . . .

Longmont Daily Times-Call

Sept. 10, 1916 — Sept 16, 2007

Leatha Mae FLANDERS , acclaimed journalist for the Longmont Daily Times-Call, passed away peacefully in her home on Monday, Sept. 16, 2007.

She quietly celebrated her 91st birthday with her immediate family September 10 in ICU at Longmont United Hospital where she was diagnosed with cancer.

Lea was born September 10, 1916 in Hugo, Colorado, 30 miles from her parents’ homestead in Karvel. She graduated from Colorado Springs High School and worked her way through college as a cosmetologist earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at the University of Colorado in 1941. She was a Sigma Delta Chi. Lea also did a post graduate degree at Columbia University.

After graduating from CU in May of 1941, Lea married Frank Flanders June 29, 1941. At the time, he was a bank teller for First National Bank of Longmont. But, by 1942, Frank had enlisted with the U.S. Air Force and was sent to Santa Anna AFB and Victorville AFB in California.

Lea helped with the war effort by folding parachutes and also worked at Lockheed Corporation which designed and manufactured P-38s and B-14s. She fondly remembered meeting Howard Hughes and speaking with him.

In February of 1945, Frank and Lea moved to Arizona, where daughter Francea was born at Yuma AFB and then after the war (June ’45) they returned to Longmont where son Fred was born in 1947. Since then, Lea has resided in and contributed to the community of Longmont as an organizer and promoter of many civic and cultural projects. She was a trendsetter in writing about women’s issues and lifestyles in the newspaper. She served as president of Colorado Press Women for two years and was the first woman president of the Colorado Society of Professional Journalists. This involvement qualified her for a place in “Who’s Who of American Women” and “Foremost Women of Communications”.

One of Lea’s fondest memories and accomplishments was organizing a group of 15 women journalists across America to attend the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in September 1995. 50,000 people from around the world attended.

Lea was a world traveler. She has been around the globe five times befriending people of many cultures, many of whom have called Longmont home for a time thanks to her generous hospitality. Her last two world trip adventures were with her beloved grandson Andrew in 2005 and 2007.

She has received many awards and achieved so much in her 91 years of life it is impossible to list all of her accomplishments. Above all, she has been a beloved mother, a cherished grandmother and a doting great-grandmother. She was a delightful friend to many, a loving wife and an inspiration to everyone who knew her. She will always be remembered for her energy and her creative and caring deeds. Her passing has left a void in our lives. We will forever miss her dearly.

Survivors include Lea’s daughter, Francea Phillips of Longmont, son Fred Flanders and daughter-in-law, Melody of Westminster; her grandchildren, Tiffany Merlo (and husband Rick), Andrew Phillips of Longmont, David Flanders (and wife Christina) of London and Rachael Flanders (and fiancé Wade Rodenmeyer) of Westminster and two great-grandchildren, Alexander and Benjamin Merlo. She was preceded in death by her infant son, David Harris Flanders, and her husband Franklin Frederick Flanders.

Her memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 25, at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Longmont, located on the corner of 9th and Francis. The public is invited to join the family in celebrating her life. The family would like to invite attendees to share a fond memory if that would be comfortable.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Vrain Historical Society’s Hover Home Project or a charity of choice in care of Ahlberg Funeral Chapel, 326 Terry Street, Longmont, CO 80501. Visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com to leave condolences for Lea’s family.