Leah Mae (Guthrie) Davenport

Indianola Nebraska Christian Pastor, Howard Holverson baptized Leah in the Republican River on May 15, 1937.

After graduating from Indianola High School on May 23, 1941 she went to Cheyenne, Wyoming and worked in a Co-op Café for several months before returning to Nebraska and working at Paul's Drug Store and later at F.W. Woolworths in McCook.

In late 1944 she met Lt. Lewis Byron Davenport whom was stationed at the McCook Air Base. They were united in marriage in Oberlin, Kansas on January 17, 1945.

Leah lived with her parents in Indianola until Lewis returned from the Marianas Island in November 1945 to take Leah and their 3 month old son, Bobby to live in Austin, Texas. They bought their first home in Austin in July, 1950 which was home to Leah the remainder of her life.

She loved planting flowers, which her beautiful lawn attests to. She collected bud vases and porcelain birds and was an accomplished seamstress, sewing most of her own, her children and grandchildren's clothing. She also delved in ceramics and making novelty items that she gave as gifts to loved ones until her vision weakened.

Her youngest daughter, Linda was living with Leah when they had a house fire in late November 1998, forcing them to live in an apartment for 5 months while her home was being re-built. Leah often expressed her gratitude and felt so blessed to have Linda's loving care (and someone to nurture her beloved flowers) after suffering a stroke in July, 2010 that left Leah with vertigo, knowing if not for Linda she would have spent the rest of her life in a rest home.

Leah became a member of the South Austin Christian Church in 1950 and enjoyed working for her church. In past years she oversaw the remodeling of the Church, fellowship hall and annex and was active in the Christian Women's Fellowship. She regretted being unable to attend church when her health failed and was devastated when her beloved church was destroyed by fire in March, 2014.

Those preceding her in death include her son, Robert Lewis (1975); husband, Lewis (1985); son-in-law, Claude Tarvin (1990), son-in-law, Craig Gandy (2014); and her ten siblings, Delma, Carl, Loydie, Dean, Gail, Lyle, Opal, Lewis, Ruth and Evelyn.

Leah is survived by her daughters, Diana Tarvin, Mauri Gandy and Linda Davenport; grandchildren, Toff Davenport, April Tarvin, Lewis Burnell (Marcy), Christina (Brandon) Creek, Robert Burnell, Bradley Burnell, Jennifer Burnell, Jonathan Gandy and Jamie Gandy; great-grandchildren, Avery and Brett Burnell, Jasmine Bailey, Brandon Creek, Jr., Tyler and Sierra Burnell and Angelea Burnell; brother-in-law, Herb Harris; sister-in-law, Beverly Guthrie.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 2620 South Congress. Funeral Service 10:00 am on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Capital Memorial Park, Pflugerville, Texas.