March 04, 2011 –
LEROY WESLEY JESSEPE
SHAWNAKUK
MAYETTA – Our brother, and father, Leroy Wesley Jessepe, Shawnakuk, passed
away on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at St. Francis Hospital in Topeka.
Leroy was born in Pawnee, Oklahoma on July 11, 1951. He was the son of Leroy Jessepe and Constance Magnauck Lewis. He attended schools throughout Kansas and graduated from Riverside Indian School, Anadarko, Oklahoma where he made numerous friends that he enjoyed seeing from time to time on his travels around the United States. He attended vocational school in Denver, Colorado, He was a free spirit who traveled to all four corners of the United States, working various jobs from construction, farm work, mechanic, chemist, to office clerk. He was a jack of all trades. Whenever he visited family he was always willing to dig in and help out. He was a member of the Christian faith and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.
In his younger years he was a well accomplished athlete, he played football, basketball, and learned how to box at a young age.
He is survived by two sons, Paul Jessepe and Cody Nozhackum, both of Mayetta, two granddaughters, Marissa Jessepe and Raelynn Daniels, brothers Charles Lewis of Kansas City, MO, Joseph (Mary) Jessepe, of Mayetta,; sisters Theresa (Robert) Murray, of Poplar, MT, and Imelda Jessepe of Mayetta; nephews James Lewis of OK, Michael (Rachael) Jessepe, of Denison, Robert (Elisa) Jessepe of Mayetta, Andrew Joseph “A.J.” Ortega, Topeka, Isaac (Cira) Murray of Hilo, HI, Robert Murray, III, of Poplar, MT; nieces Tamara (Will) McClammy, Charlene (Terry) Butler, Leslie Marshno, and Kristin Potter, all of Topeka, Jackie (John) Jessepe-Levier, Jodi Jessepe, and Angela (Gary Chee) Jessepe, of Mayetta, and Jessie Murray, of Santa Fe, NM; and many great nieces and nephews.
His favorite pastime was reading and working outdoors. Leroy will be missed by all who knew him. He was a kind and honest man who lived life on his own terms.
Leroy was preceded in death by his parents, step-father Joseph Lewis, sister-in-law, Christine Lewis, and nephew Billy Potter.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 5th, 2011 at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church on the Potawatomi Common Land. Burial will follow in the Old Dance Ground Cemetery. Leroy will lie in state until 3:00 p.m. Friday at the Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Hoyt. He will lie in state after 4:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Snows Hall where a rosary will be prayed at 7:00 p.m., followed by an all night wake. On-line condolences may be made at chapeloaksfuneralhome.com
(Courtesy of Chapel Oaks Funeral Home-Hoyt, Kan.)