James Leland Bartley

James Leland Bartley was born on a farm about one-half mile south of Esbon, Jewell County, Kansas, on Friday the 27th day of August 1920 and departed this life December 28, 2010 at the Jewell County Hospital. Leland (nicknamed “Buck”) was the son of Walter Jay Bartley and Edith Pearl Hoffhines. He grew up in the Esbon and Ionia communities and graduated from Ionia Rural High School, Ionia, Kansas in 1939.

He married his high school sweetheart Doris Eileen Miller in Mankato, Jewell County, Kansas, August 16, 1941. They lived in the Westbranch Community for forty-one years before moving to the Esbon Community and Leland resided there until his death. To this union were born five children: Nancy, James Leland, Jr. (Jim), Lois, Janice, and Geneva.

Besides farming, Leland worked with the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service beginning May, 1957 and as cited for 25 years of service in 1983.

Leland liked all sports but his great love was baseball and he could actually be called the “encyclopedia of baseball records,” being able to recite baseball facts back to the years when he was a child. He was himself an accomplished player and played Town Team Baseball for many years. He was a lover of all animals and had the ability to train birds and small animals to perform numerous tricks.

Leland is preceded in death by Doris, his devoted wife of sixty-seven years, his parents, Walter and Edith Bartley, his brother, Delbert Jay Bartley, and granddaughter Kimberly Anne Nitsch.

Leland is survived by four daughters, Nancy (Roger) Nitsch of Hunter, Kansas, Lois Weeks of Lawrence, Kansas, Janice (Joe) Arneson of Lawrence, Kansas, and Geneva (Tom) Tucker of Lawrence, Kansas; one son Jim (Kathy) Bartley of Grand Island, Nebraska, sister, Arlene Fearing, Gainesville, FL and sister-in-law Carol Miller Watkins, Beulah, CO. He is also survived by grandchildren, Bradley Nitsch of Hunter, Kansas, Tracy Nitsch, Hunter, Kansas, Lance (Rebecca) Weeks of Lawrence, Kansas, Laurie (Luke Whittemore) Weeks, Fairfax County, Virginia, Jeremy (Carol Merrifield) Bartley, Redlands, California, Jessica (Jason) Barker, Lawrence, Kansas, Justin (Sheriden Decastro) Dubas, New Braunfels, Texas, Ryan Dubas, Grand Island, Nebraska, and Kaitlin Goodner, Hastings, Nebraska; twelve great-grandchildren; and a host of family and friends.

Leland’s memorial services will be held Friday afternoon, at 2:00 p.m., Friday, December 31, 2010, at the Ionia Methodist Church, Ionia, Kansas, with Pastor Tyler Larson. Interment will be in Ionia Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the Esbon Senior Center, or Mankato Summer Youth (Baseball program). Family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, December 30, 2010, at the Melby Mortuary, Mankato, Kansas.

Leland will be missed by his family and friends. May he rest in peace.