Obituary of Stanley James Leckband

STANLEY JAMES LECKBAND

On Wednesday, November 4, 2020, Stanley James “Jim” Leckband, loving husband and father of two children, passed away at the age of 90. Jim was born on July 8, 1930, in Worthington, MN, to Arthur and Muriel (Schmidt) Leckband. He attended public school in Kinbrae and Brewster, MN, graduating as valedictorian, even though he skipped school every chance he could to visit his sweetheart, Arlene Leckband, at the high school in Okabena, He then enlisted in the navy and attended Hospital Corps School at Great Lakes, IL. His training took him to the US Naval Hospital at Bethesda, MD, Patuxent River Naval Air Base, MD, deployment on the USS Tarawa aircraft carrier on tour in the Mediterranean, attached to the US Marine Air Base at Edenton, NC, back to Great Lakes as an instructor at Hospital Corps School and finally to the 9th Naval District, Great Lakes, IL to complete nine years of service.

In 1953 he married Arlene Peterson and for three years they shared the experience of his posting at Great Lakes before moving back to Minnesota, where Jim helped on his father’s farm near Kinbrae. In 1957, the day after Thanksgiving, he injured his right hand in a cornpicker. He continued farming with Arlene’s Uncle Ivan and eventually purchased the farm. Jim refurbished many farm buildings, and he and Arlene designed and built a new family home with help from their friends and children.

Jim also did custom farming and built a repair shop and had the ability to fix most anything with some scrap metal, a bucket of parts and a welder. During the winter, when he was working or tinkering in his shop, there would often be six or seven pickups lined up outside. Their drivers, fellow farmers, would be inside kibitzing on his latest project or discussing the state of the world. He really wanted to vote in the 2020 election, and was disappointed when the result was not finalized on Election Day.

Jim was a patient, generous, and caring man--always busy doing something--always there for his family and friends. Even the small creatures could depend on him. He took care of a large group of farm cats who greeted him each morning. Never one to be caught idle, in the winter there was usually a jigsaw puzzle on the dining room table, and back when his son and daughter were in grade school waiting for the school bus to arrive he taught them how to play poker and other card games so they missed the morning bus. He loved puzzles and played a mean game of scrabble, cribbage and other card games including poker, of course.

He rarely took time off the farm, but in 1976, good friends (Pat and Ron Liddiard) talked him and Arlene into joining them on a trip to Hawaii. This started a yearly travel tradition. The following year, the Minneapolis Tribune ran an ad for a trip to Cancun, Mexico, and despite never having heard of the place they took a winter trip there, fell in love with the area, and bought time in a condo which then consisted of 3 palm trees and a beautiful beach. It was perfect, the plans turned into what was promised. and this became a yearly escape from the last month of Minnesota winter for the next thirty years. Jim and Arlene loved to travel with their lifelong friends, Ron and Pat Liddiard and enjoyed lounging on the beach in Cancun or where ever there was sunshine, ocean and beach.

Jim was working on the farm and in his workshop right up until this autumn, but had been fighting cancer and finally was overtaken, spending his last ten days at the Sunset Hospice Cottage in Worthington. He is survived by Arlene, his wife of 67 years, and his children Peter (Patty), and Stephanie (Robin). He was preceded in death by premature twins, Pamela and Penelope, his parents, and his brother Delbert.

He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him.

The Cremation Society of MN handled arrangements. Currently no services are planned.