Leon E. Eppright of Warrensburg passed away at home on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010.
He was born Jan. 31, 1948, the son of James McElwee and Margery Van Blarcum Eppright. He attended Leeton schools, graduated from Warrensburg High School in 1966 and the University of Central Missouri in 1969, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Fraternity. With his Dad's death a month earlier, Leon remained on the family farm to run the cattle operation. He was a member of the Leeton Baptist Church.
Leon's love of reading and learning and his photographic memory were evident from an early age and continued throughout his life. Walking the land with Beagle Sam and most recently Bluffy, he enjoyed all aspects of the out-of-doors, stopping off at the pond to fish and searching for arrowheads on the creek bank included. Leon led these wonderful expeditions when his sister visited, talking about water, plants, and wildlife and years' earlier adventures with his mother and sons.
Leon is survived by his wife Cynthia (Cindy) Bell Eppright of Warrensburg; two sons, Matthew James of Topeka and Benjamin Drake of Warrensburg; one sister Gayla Christiansen and husband, Dennis, of College Station, Texas; two aunts, and many cousins.
Pallbearers are Frank Eppright, Bill Eppright, Hugh Smith, Gary Van Blarcum, David Van Blarcum and Charles Van Blarcum. Honorary pallbearers are David Eppright Bauman, Sonny Brandt, Vance Delozier, Steve Angle, Hal Fisher, Dave Hudson, Chuck Owens, Jack Cronhardt and Jim Graham.
The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, at the Sweeney Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home in Warrensburg, with burial to follow at Sunset Hill Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until service time.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Heart Association may be sent in care of the funeral home.
