Leatrice Kay (Johnson) Wise

Leatrice Kay (Johnson) Wise was born in Fairbury, Nebraska on January 23, 1930. She was the only child of Elmer Ashley Johnson and Opal M. (Githens) Johnson. She died in Sabetha, Kansas on April 1, 2025.

Leatrice was baptized into the Christian faith at the First Christian Church in Burbank, California on Easter Sunday in 1941.

Leatrice began her schooling in Fairbury, but because her father was in the construction business, she moved often and ultimately attended ten elementary schools. She lived in California from 1936 until 1945. She graduated from Fairbury High School in 1947 after having attended high schools in Burbank, California, and Rogers, Arkansas.

Leatrice was employed by Hested’s Stores at their general offices in Fairbury until her marriage to Jimmy Dean Wise on December 27, 1948. Mr. Wise was in the U.S. Marine Corps at the time, and they were stationed in California and North Carolina. In subsequent years, they lived in several towns in Nebraska as well as Canton, Ohio, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Twin Cities area of Minnesota before returning to Fairbury.

Leatrice enjoyed genealogical research, and she was quite adept at it. She was for many years a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, The Clan Johnston/e in America, and American MENSA.

Leatrice was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jim; and her son, Eric Ashley Wise.

Leatrice is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Wise; her son-in-law, John Gray, and her grandson, Caleb Gray, all of Sabetha, Kansas.

No services are planned at this time.