Obituary of Vesta Leak

Vesta Verdine (Dugger) Langley Leak was born August 21, 1922 in Verona, Arkansas to Loyd Erastus and Sarah Meleatha (Davis) Dugger and passed from this life January 17, 2011 in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma at the age of 88. Preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Harold Marion Langley and Hubert L. Leak; her sisters, Ina Estelle Dugger, Gladys Marie Dugger and Sylvia Eleanor Fisk; her brother, Leland Carl Dugger; and her grandson, Scott Langley Murphy, Vesta is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Linda & Leland Murphy of Dallas, Texas and Karen & Jim Kidd of Tulsa, Oklahoma; her grandchildren, Lori Ann Watts, Jason Guy Watts and Trisha Murphy; and her great grandchildren, Mia Murphy and Evelyn Watts. Vesta was a woman of many talents and accomplishments. She loved to write poetry and stories and in her senior year of high school she placed second in an Oklahoma state writing contest with her essay. Her senior year, she had the honor of being in the homecoming queen's court. At age 16, Vesta worked at Kress's Department Store at the lunch counter and then worked at First National Bank of Tulsa, where she met her husband, Harold. Later she worked as Church Secretary for St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and then for the Tulsa Public School system in the accounting/payroll department from which she retired in 1980. Vesta loved to read and belonged to a Tulsa book club. She was an accomplished seamstress, making her own wedding gown at the age of 21 and later, sewed dresses for her daughters. Vesta was an excellent cook and enjoyed making strawberry preserves with berries from her own garden. She had a love for all animals, but especially for cats, having many as pets through the years. Vesta always had a strong love of the Lord. As a child, she would walk miles to a neighbor's house to catch a buggy ride to church. As an adult, she was active at St. Paul's Methodist Church, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church and then became a member of Boston Avenue Methodist Church and a member of the United Methodist Women. Vesta was a remarkable woman whose light shined in the face of adversity. As a child, she lost both parents by the age of 8 and then lived with several family members and friends until she married Harold. Harold died of polio in 1953 when both were 31. She raised their two girls by herself, being bread winner, mother and father. She was faced with breast cancer in 1990 and was a 21 year survivor. When her second husband, Hubert, became house bound, she cared for him until his death, and it was then discovered that she had Alzheimer's disease. In the face of such adversity, Vesta always maintained her sense of humor and her joy in making others laugh. At the facility where she lived, she was loved by all who came in contact with her and continued to make others laugh until days before her passing. Vesta's strong faith and love for the Lord enabled her to be a shining light all her life, and we are truly blessed to have known her. Vesta will lie in state Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with family receiving friends from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and her funeral will be held 10:00 p.m. Monday, both at the Ninde Woodland Funeral Home Chapel. She will be laid to rest at Floral Haven Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 6465 South Yale Avenue, Suite 312, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136-7805 or Susan G. Komen For the Cure, 5110 South Yale, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135. Ninde Woodland 918.728.8500 www.ninde.com