Carole H. Leever

LEEVER, Carole H. 1/14/1940 – 3/19/2021 Carole Hope Heider began life on January 14, 1940, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Emporia, KS.When dad, Alfred, got a teaching job in Kansas City, KS, he, Hope (Carole’s mom), and Carole moved to KCK.Their adventure there was short, as he was drafted for WW2.Carole and her mom moved back to Emporia to be near family.They continued living in Emporia after Alfred returned from Europe.In 1946 a sister, Janis, joined the family, and in 1948 Alfred was hired by Kansas City Kansas Junior College to teach accounting and coach basketball.Carole’s family continued to grow as siblings Joel (1950) and Ann (1951) were born. Carole attended Bryant Elementary, Northwest Junior High, and Wyandotte High School, graduating in 1957.Carole and her siblings had a little music combo going, and would perform in the Kansas City area, from time to time.While she was in junior high, her music teacher noticed her exceptional musical talent and had her start accompanying other students at their recitals as well as other school musical productions.Eventually, she was recommended as substitute pianist at various churches in the area. One of her music teachers, Mrs. Richardson, was in a music club that worked to help advanced music students.This was a rather formal group, as was another group that met in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, the Terrace Club.She often played there during their dinners and formal parties. She also was an accompanist for Miss Dorothea’s dance studio. Carole was also an exceptional organist, and in high school was able to play the organ at Quindaro Christian Church and Immanuel Baptist. Her younger sisters, Janis and Ann, would agree that Carole was a great big sister.Carole and Janis shared a bedroom, where Janis would jump into bed with Carole during thunderstorms or bad dreams. Carole always let her stay.Janis remembers when Carole decided to start building her hope chest.She would go overtown on the bus - sometimes taking Janis - to one of the big department stores, Jones or Macy’s.She selected her silverware pattern, buying one piece at a time.She would take each piece home and hide it in her underwear drawer.One day, her mom found out about the hope chest and silverware and told Carole it was a waste of her time – she would be going to college.As it turned out, she did receive a music scholarship to Kansas University, but she gave it up to get married.She did use that silverware for quite a few years. It was at Immanuel Baptist that she met Jerry Leever in August of 1958.They were married November 28 of that same year at the very same place they first met. In November 1959, Lori was born, in 1962, Jerry Mark was born, and in 1963, Jerry graduated from seminary.In the fall of 1964 they moved to Shawnee, KS where Jerry began pastoring at the First Baptist Church of Greenwood.Carole became the pianist and choir director. Timmy was born in 1965.In 1968, the family moved to Haysville, KS (West Haysville Baptist Church).Coming from a family of teachers, Carole loved teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School (Lori says she was the best Bible School teacher – a great storyteller and came up with fun crafts!). Carole was also a substitute teacher for the Haysville Public Schools, and accompaniedschool choirs and students at Contest.There was always music going on in her house.Carole and Jerry would be singing and rehearsing (often getting the kids to join in).She would quite often play one of her many record albums, and the kids would sing along. She had Lori begin piano lessons and learn to sing alto.She loved accompanying Lori and singing duets with her.Jerry Mark joined the school band.Timmy also loved music and developed quite a love for Drum Corps events, while watching Jerry Mark perform in them. She eventually became a dental assistant in Haysville, and her strict dental regimen began, and life changed in the Leever household.From there it was to Norfolk, NE (First Baptist Church), where she became a teacher’s aide, and then on to Lincoln, NE (Belmont Baptist), where she enjoyed working in the library at Lincoln High School.They also had churches in Cherokee, IA (Cherokee Baptist Parish).She accompanied the high school choir and the community theater for several musical productions.Grandson Evan often went to rehearsals with her for Westside Story – his favorite – and Annie, Get Your Gun. In Larned, KS (Larned-Rozel American Baptist Parish) Carole earned her certificate to teach at Head Start. In 1984, the grandkids started coming along.Carole adored the grandkids:Evan (1984), Brett (1986), Bethany (1992), Jordan (1993), and Jessica (1998).She and Jerry spoiled them like they never spoiled their own kids (well, Timmy was kind of spoiled)!Evan, Brett, and Bethany lived in Houston, TX, so they went to visit them for several fantastic summer-long visits. They took them to several forts (Fort Larned, for one, a number of times), and had ice cream for dessert each night, as Brett remembers.Bethany remembers how, “Grandma taught me to write my name,” and how Grandma could hear a song and play it with no music in front of her (this crazy great playing by ear gift that Carole was given was not passed on to Lori, one of Lori’s greatest regrets!), introducing Bethany to the orange chocolate sticks, trying on her clip earrings, and riding the horses in Colorado. More recently, while visiting they went to a sing-along, and Grandma was so happy, clapping and singing. Carole loved talking to her son-in-law, Tim, who considered her a great conversationalist, and enjoyed his time with her.After retiring, Carole and Jerry moved to Omaha to be near Timmy, Jerry Mark, and his family, Ann (who took such great care of Carole – and Jerry, while he was sick), Jordan, and Jessica.Carole gave Jordan and Jessica piano lessons and was happy to attend their different sporting and musical events.Jessica remembers those Wednesday lessons as Grandma picking her up from school and getting to spend time with Grandma – not so much the practicing – and she loved how easy it was for Grandma to sit down and play even new music effortlessly.Jessica also enjoyed going through Grandma’s jewelry, putting on her pearl necklaces and clip earrings, acting like Grandma (who sometimes helped pick out the jewelry).Lori remembers going through Carole’s jewelry, too, many years earlier. Jordan loved it when Grandma would take he and Jessica to the neighborhood park to play.Then they would walk over to the farm with horses where they would feed and pet them (Jessica noted this was on private property, but they did it anyway).Jordan loved that Grandma could be counted on to be at his football, basketball, and baseball games and supported him at his band concerts through the years and, later, his dojo performances.Carole so enjoyed welcoming granddaughters-in-law Amanda (married to Evan), Kadee (married to Brett), and Colleen (married to Jordan) into the family. In 2013, she experienced another big change Jerry, her precious husband of 54 years, passed away.Through the years, she often mentioned how much she missed him, and wishing she could still be with him. All along the way she was busy at the churches, playing for the congregational singing, choirs, and small groups, teaching and being an excellent pastor’s wife, keeping her household organized, caring for her kids, who she was immensely proud of, and taking them to their different activities.She had many wonderful friends whom she loved so much at her churches and schools and who loved her. Carole loved her music, mostly playing the Christian music she loved best, and sometimes was convinced to play the classical pieces she performed fantastically.She fostered a great love for music in her kids and grandkids, which will hopefully influence the great grandkids she just adored, Shelby and Riley, and the rest who are yet to come along. Most of all, she loved the Lord! She loved serving Him, especially through the wonderful talent which He bestowed on her, blessing those who had the privilege to experience it.It is so comforting to know she is now with Jesus in total peace, happiness, and joy. Carole was preceded in death by husband Rev. Jerry E. Leever, brother Joel Heider; She is survived by children, Lori (Tim) Willenberg,Jerry (Ann) Leever, Tim Leever; Grandchildren, Evan, Brett, Bethany, Jordan & Jessica; Great-Grand Daughters Riley & Shelby; Sisters: Janis (Dave) Mikesic, Ann Heider; Many other relatives and friends Celebration of Carole’s Life: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 11:00AM, with visitation one hour prior to the service, all at Braman Mortuary (72 St. Chapel) Graveside Service, Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 11:00AM atLeavenworth National Cemetery, Leavenworth, KS. In lieu of flowers, memorials given to the family will be used in Carole's memory at a later date. Braman Mortuary (72 St. Chapel) 1702 N. 72 St. Omaha, NE68114 402-391-2171