Jennie Lee Mary (Formell) Buckler

Jennie Lee Mary (Formell) Buckler, age 94, of Centerville, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, in Centerville. She was preceded in death by her husband, Warren Buckler; parents, Conrad and Dorothy (Watson) Formell; sisters, Shirley (Formell) Schmidt and Donna (Formell) Correll; brother, Conrad David Formell; and infant daughter, Marcia Anne Buckler, who passed away a day after her birth in 1962.

Jennie Lee was born in Detroit, Michigan, on January 28, 1930. She was delivered by a doctor at home next door to where her father’s family had lived, and her great-grandmother, Mary (Campbell) Watson, and aunts, Leota (Watson) Barnhardt and Jennie (Formell) Luscomb, were in attendance. When the doctor was not able to get her to take her first breaths, her great-grandmother took over and gave her a slap on her backside. She was named Jennie Lee Mary in honor of her great-grandmother, Mary, and aunts, Jennie and Leota. Jennie Lee, her older sister, Shirley, and younger sister, Donna, were close in age. They grew up during the Great Depression and World War II. When Jennie Lee was 13 years old, her brother, Conrad David (Dave), was born, and when she was 21 years old, her brother, John, was born. Dave and John were like her own children, spending a lot of time at her home with her family. Growing up, her family moved from Detroit to Berkley, Michigan, back to Detroit, and then to Saginaw, Michigan, Hollywood, Florida, and Lathrup Village, Michigan. Jennie Lee didn’t mind leaving her friends behind because she had a close-knit family and made new friends wherever she lived. She could start up a conversation with a complete stranger while smiling and laughing with that twinkle in her eyes and the raise of her left eyebrow. She will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.

Jennie Lee met her future husband, Warren, in 1947, and they were married later that year. She said she knew “he was the one” the moment she saw him. They were married 75 years before Warren passed away in January 2023 at age 98. They had four children, Dorothy (Dottie), Warren Jr., Brian and Marcia. They raised their family in Michigan, staying in Oakland County. Many of the family vacations were camping in a tent during the first two weeks of August at Ludington State Park in northern Michigan. While Warren and the kids enjoyed fishing, swimming and walking on the trails, Jennie Lee usually stayed at the campsite cooking on the green two-burner camp stove, reading a book, or meeting fellow campers. She liked to cook and everyone enjoyed her meals which were always made from scratch. Her peanut butter fudge and macaroni and cheese were favorites. Her love for cooking has been passed down through three generations. And oh, how she loved being a grandmother and a great-grandmother. Holding all those new babies in her arms gave her great joy. Jennie Lee and Warren planned many sleepovers and side trips with their grandchildren.

During retirement, Jennie Lee and Warren traveled in the United States, Canada, and Mexico before moving in 1990 to Bella Vista, Arkansas, where they stayed busy golfing, bowling, making new friends, and being involved in church. They were always glad to share their little bit of paradise when family came to visit, and many trips were made to Branson, Missouri. In 2005, they moved to Washington Township, Ohio, to be closer to family.

Jennie Lee is survived by her children, Dottie (Ron, deceased) Mantela, Warren (Ana) Buckler Jr. and Brian (Marye Ellen) Buckler; grandchildren, Marcie (Schuyler) Rogers, Jill (Peter) Hagan, Laura (Mark) Butler, Warren (Nancy) Buckler III, Jennifer Buckler, Christina (Thomas) Clarke, Melony (Travis) LaCoss, Justin (Jennifer) Buckler and Derek Buckler; great-grandchildren, Rebekah and Sky Rogers, Peter, Mary, Nora, Timothy, Ellen and Daniel Hagan, Kent, Sally, Alice and Henry Butler, Rose Buckler, Olivia and Jackson Clarke, Emerson Buckler and Belle Buckler; her brother, John (Beverly) Formell; and her many nieces and nephews.

A gathering of family and friends for Jennie Lee will be held Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at Gebhart-Schmidt-Parramore Funeral Home, 508 E. Linden Avenue, Miamisburg, Ohio 45342, followed by a funeral service at 11:30 AM with Rev. Mark Butler, Pastor. Burial will occur Monday, November 4, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Dayton National Cemetery, 4400 W. Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45428.

Memorial contributions may be made in Jennie Lee’s name to the Humane Society of Greater Dayton, 1661 Nicholas Road, Dayton, Ohio 45417 (hsdayton.org).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy with the Buckler family may be shared at www.gebhartschmidtparramore.com.