Cora Lepper

Cora Louise Lepper, 88, died Friday evening, May 9, 2008 at Arbor Springs care center in West Des Moines. After living most of her adult life near the Iowa State Fairgrounds, she moved to Arbor Springs in July 2004.
Although she struggled with dementia, Cora loved to play Scrabble and as recently as February was routinely beating her opponents. She was also known at Arbor Springs for her eloquent blessings before meals.
Born March 21, 1920, in rural Appanoose County near the southern Iowa town of Numa, Cora was the eighth of nine children. She was an excellent student and in eighth grade won an award as the highest scoring student in Appanoose County. Shortly after graduating from high school, Cora moved to Des Moines. She soon met her husband-to-be, Homer Lepper. They were married Oct. 18, 1941, at the home of Cora’s sister, Ruth Mitchell. In 1942, Cora and Homer decided to join family members on the West Coast. Homer found work at the Naval shipyard in Bremerton, Wash. Cora arrived later, taking the train from Des Moines to Bremerton by herself, about a month before the birth of their first daughter, Celia.
Homer was drafted into the Army in 1943, and while he was fighting in Europe, Cora returned to Des Moines with Celia. After the War, they settled in Des Moines Celia and their second daughter, Carol. Besides being a skillful homemaker renowned for her fresh rhubarb pie, Cora worked for a few years selling Avon products, although she never learned to drive. In about 1958, she took a job as a school cook and continued with that work until retiring in the early 1980s.

For more than 40 years, she was a member of Grace Wesleyan Church, where she taught Sunday School and worked with the Women’s Missionary Society. A dedicated and talented letter writer, she corresponded with many missionaries around the world as well as various family members.
Cora was preceded in death by her parents, Loren and Celia Veach; and her siblings, Ruby Veach, Louis Veach, Mildred Webster, Elsie Bateham, Ruth Mitchell, Roy Veach and Grace Johnson. Her younger brother, Raleigh Veach of Des Moines, died April 21, 2008.
She is survived by her daughter Celia Guthrie and husband Vern Guthrie of West Des Moines; daughter Carol Christian and her life partner, Julie Souchek, of Houston, Texas; grandson Paul Guthrie and wife Melissa and their children, Lance and Anna Kathryn Marie; granddaughter Amy Cox and husband Daron Cox and their sons, Jonathan and Aaden of Blaine, Minn.; sister-in-law Virginia Veach of Des Moines; and many nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to thank the entire staff at Arbor Springs for their loving care and support.
The funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street. Burial will follow at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Des Moines. The visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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