Clara Cleo Wadleigh

Cleo was born August 31, 1919 in Las Animas County, Colorado 40 miles south of La Junta. Her parents, Clarence and Clara Reed were ranchers. Cleo was the seventh of eight children.
Cleo started the first grade at Higbee School. She later attended school at Round Prairie and at Pinion Park Schools. These were one room schools. In 1938 she graduated from La Junta High School. Also in 1938 Cleo married Elmer (Tuffy) Wadleigh. Elmer passed away in 1992 after they had been married a little over 63 years. Cleo and Elmer had two children, Francie and Chuck. Chuck passed away in 2005.
Cleo is survived by her daughter Francie (Harold) Hiner and her children, Doug (Robin) Hiner, Beth Hiner, and Paula (Jeff) Breslaw and their families. She is also survived by Chucks’ two daughters Christy (Jimmie) Miller and Vikki (Brent) Benson. She has 10 Great-grand children and one great, great-grand daughter.
She is also survived by three brother’s-in-law, Ron (Shirley) Wadleigh of Cheraw, Lloyd (Vicky) Wadleigh of Rocky Ford and Lee (Dot) Wadleigh of Bolder, and one sister-in-law Susie (Ralph) of North La Junta. Two sisters also survive, Bernadine Rice and Edith Bridgewater, both of Olathe, Colorado. Numerous friends and family remain. Former sister-in-law, Linda McComas is also part of the family.
As her children were growing up, Cleo worked at Lear Cleaners. She also took some writing courses at OJC. This inspired her to write her Autobiography “WAY BACK YONDER” detailing her life on the Reed Ranch through her marriage to Elmer and the growing up of their children. Cleo worked at the Swink School as a teacher’s aide and enjoyed working with the elementary students.
Cleo spent most of her life in Colorado. In 2005, due to deteriorating health, she moved to Hurst, TX to live with her daughter Francie and son-in-law Harold Hiner.
The highlight of her life was when she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord at the age of 12. She strived to always represent Him in her life. Her goal in life was to bring others to Him and to bring Glory to His Name.
She was a member of First Baptist Church in La Junta for many years and served in many positions during that time. She could always be counted on to help out wherever there was a need, but not in choir. She was also involved in WCTU for many years. Cleo was very interested in political affairs and wrote many letters to the editor of the La Junta Tribune and Pueblo Chieftain.
One point of interest is that Cleo’s maternal great-grandmother was the first white child born in the Cherokee Strip in what is now Oklahoma. It was still “No Man’s Land” at that time.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 4, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at Peacock Memorial Chapel. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Peacock Memorial Chapel.
Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home & Arkansas Valley Crematory is in charge of arrangements.


In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Heifer International, First Baptist Church La Junta, any Salvation Army unit or charity of choice through the Funeral home.