Oscar Otto Leath, Jr.'s Obituary
OSCAR OTTO LEATH, JR.
HE WAS BORN NOVEMBER 16, 1927, IN THE ELDERVILLE COMMUNITY IN RUSK COUNTY, TO OSCAR O. LEATH, SR.
AND CLELLA ADAMS LEATH BOTH MEMBERS OF PIONEER
FAMILIES. HE WENT HOME TO BE WITH HIS LORD ON
JUNE 14, 2007.
OSCAR WAS A 1947 GRADUATE OF PINE TREE HIGH SCHOOL
WHERE HE WAS ON THE FOOTBALL TEAM FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
HE ATTENDED KILGORE COLLEGE FOR TWO YEARS AFTER
HE RETURNED FROM KOREA.
HE SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AS AN AIR
POLICEMAN DURING THE KOREAN CONFLICT FROM 1950-
1954 AND OBTAINED THE RANK OF STAFF SERGEANT. HE SERVED IN KOREA DURING THE LAST MONTHS OF HIS SERVICE.
HE MARRIED MADELYN CATHERINE YOUNG IN 1951 AT THE
TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH IN PICKTON, TEXAS. HE WAS STATIONED AT BROOKS AIR FORCE BASE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AT THE TIME.
HE ENJOYED MANY INTERESTS INCLUDING HUNTING, FISHING,
GOLF, AND TRAVEL. HE ALSO FOUND TIME TO VOLUNTEER
AS A LITTLE LEAGUE COACH AND ASSISTED WITH THE
LEADERSHIP OF A SCOUT TROUP.
HE WAS A FORMER MEMBER OF GREGGTON FIRST BAPTIST
CHURCH WHERE HE ENJOYED THE SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
OF HIS FRIEND GRADY L.COATES. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF
MR. COATES, ALL OF HIS CLASS EVENTUALLY BECAME DEACONS. HE BECAME A DEACON UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HIS PASTOR AND FRIEND JAMES DIXON. WHILE THERE HE
SERVED AS SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, CHAIRMAN OF BUILDING AND GROUNDS, AND TEACHER FOR BOTH ADULTS AND JUNIOR HIGH BOYS. DR. RICK WEBB WAS ONE OF THOSE
JUNIOR HIGH BOYS.
HE IS CURRENTLY A MEMBER OF OAKLAND HEIGHTS BAPTIST
CHURCH WHERE HE HAS SERVED AS DEACON, SUNDAY SCHOOL
TEACHER OF MEN?S CLASSES, AND CHAIRMAN OF BUILDINGS
AND GROUNDS.
HE AND MADELYN FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE TWO CHURCH
FAMILIES AND TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY THE FELLOWSHIP OF BOTH CHURCHES.
OSCAR RETIRED AFTER 45 YEARS WITH THE MOTOR TRANSPORT
DEPARTMENT OF UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD. HE STARTED AS
PART TIME AT THE AGE OF 16 WITH TEXAS & PACIFIC RAILROAD, WHICH LATER SOLD TO MISSOURI PACIFIC AND FINALLY SOLD TO UNION PACIFIC. HE ALSO SERVED AS A BOARD MEMBER AND
THEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF THE TEXAS & PACIFIC
FEDERAL CREDIT UNION FOR MANY YEARS AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO ACQUIRE THE LAND FOR THE NEW OFFICE BUILDING ON EASTMAN ROAD.
SURVIVORS INCLUDE HIS WIFE OF 56 YEARS, MADELYN YOUNG
LEATH, DAUGHTER KAREN ANNE LEATH SEWELL, AND HUSBAND GENE A. SEWELL, AND GRANDSON SAMUEL ALAN SEWELL OF RICHARDSON, GRANDDAUGHTER CHELSEA KATHERINE LEATH BREWER, HUSBAND CORPORAL
WILLIAM BRYANT BREWER, AND GREAT-GRANDSON BRANNON
BENJAMIN. CORPORAL BREWER IS CURRENTLY IN IRAQ. HIS BROTHER AND SISTER-IN-LAW, ROBERT AND MARY JO LEATH OF LONGVIEW, HIS SISTER-IN-LAW AND BROTHER-IN-LAW EVELYN AND JOHNNIE HENDERSON OF FORNEY, HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW AND SISTER-IN-LAW JOE AND PATTY YOUNG OF MOUNT VERNON, AND A NUMBER OF NEPHEWS AND NIECES AND THEIR CHILDREN.
HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS SON DAVID ALAN LEATH IN
2006, HIS PARENTS, PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS HAYWOOD AND
GEORGIA CHRISTIAN LEATH, MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS SAMUEL AND DAISY MAE GIBSON ADAMS OF RUSK COUNTY.
FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2007, 3:30 P.M.,
AT OAKLAND HEIGHTS BAPTIST CHURCH WITH REV. JOHNNIE
HENDERSON-NEPHEW, DR. RICK WEBB, AND PASTOR TOM ROBERSON OFFICIATING UNDER DIRECTION OF RADER FUNERAL HOME. BURIAL WILL FOLLOW IN ROSEWOOD PARK.
HONARARY GUESTS WILL BE DEACONS AND THEIR WIVES FROM BOTH GREGGTON FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH AND OAKLAND HEIGHTS BAPTIST CHURCH. PALLBEARERS WILL BE HIS NEPHEWS, DR. MIKE LEATH, RICK LEATH, REV. JOHNNIE HENDERSON, JR., DAYNE YOUNG, BOB MORRIS, AND BRUCE HUFFMAN.
IN LIEW OF FLOWERS, THE FAMILY SUGGESTS DONATIONS
TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, HIGHWAY 80 RESCUE
MISSION, OR THE CHARITY OF CHOICE.
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