Letha Irene Shomber

Letha Irene Shomber was born January 3, 1912 about four miles northwest of Ottawa in Franklin County, Kansas. She was the daughter of George Albert and Nora Edith (Houser) Nitcher. After living in several different locations through her adult years, Mrs. Shomber returned in 1961 to Ottawa, where she made her home until her death July 27, 1996 at the age of eighty-four years. Growing up in the Greenwood Community, Irene attended grade school there and graduated from Pomona High School with the Class of 1930. She received her teacher`s certificate after attending Kansas State Teachers College of Emporia for two years and taught at Central, Valley View and Davy Grade Schools in Franklin County. In 1946, Irene received her beautician`s certificate from the Kansas Beauty College of Wichita and was soon licensed by the Kansas State Board of Cosmetology. She worked in a shop for ten years and after that, always had her own shop until retiring from active beautician`s work in 1989, Irene maintained her license until January 1996, and so was licensed for fifty years. The Shombers made their home at Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Pomona; Wichita; Anchorage Alaska; Columbus Ohio; and Ottawa. Traveling was one of her great loves and included trips to many parts of the United States, Canada, Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Japan, Israel, Egypt, New Zealand, Australia, and Mexico. Irene`s love of flowers included growing thirty-three different kinds of flowers in their yard at Ottawa. She enjoyed fishing, photography, sewing, quilting, reading, board games, and music, which she shared by playing the piano and singing in the church choir. One of Irene`s special talents was mimicking birdcalls, which she did beautifully. Her love of the Lord Jesus Christ made her church central to her life wherever she lived and filled her home with His teachings and love. Irene was a leader and active in church, Sunday school and Vacation Bible School for more than sixty years and in Ottawa was a member of Calvary Baptist Church. A Volunteer at the Franklin County Senior Center for years, Irene did other Volunteer projects, also, including teaching chess and dominoes at Eisenhower Elementary School, where she received a One in a Million recognition in 1995 when she was eighty-three years old! A member of the former Ottawa LaSertoma, she had served the Ottawa club as president and was past governor of Kansas LaSertoma. Irene was secretary of Ottawa Senior Citizens Club for six years and played the piano at the center for more than thirteen years. She was also a member of American Association of Retired Persons. On May 1, 1936, Irene was united in marriage with Henry Harold Shomber at Lebo. They celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary in 1996. Harold survives of their home. Also surviving are a son and daughter-in-law, Henry Albert and Joy June Shomber of Normandy Park, Washington; a daughter and son-in-law, Carolyn Rose and James Conrad Rodenberg of Waynesboro, Virginia; four grandchildren, Henry Rolan Shomber of Woodinville, Washington, Kaylene Renee Shomber of Normandy Park.; John Eric Nichols Rodenberg of Mbabane, Swaziland, Wendy Irene Rodenberg-Webb of Waynesboro; four great-grandchildren, Henry Nathan Shomber and Kristen Irene Shomber of Woodinville; Brittany Joy Williams of Normandy Park and Jonna Nicole Rodenberg-Webb of Waynesboro. The last of her family, Irene was preceded in death by two brothers, Clovis James Nitcher and Cleo Emerald Nitcher. SERVICES: Funeral services will be held from the Calvary Baptist Church, 10:00am, Tuesday, July 30, 1996. OFFICIATING CLERGY: Rev. Jon Boyd, Rev. Dale Lane, and Rev. William Weber. IN STATE: Mrs. Shomber will lie in state at the Dengel & Son Mortuary after 4:00pm Monday. The family will meet with friends 7-8 Monday evening at the Mortuary. CEMETERY: Princeton Cemetery, Princeton, Kansas. MEMORIALS: The family suggests memorials to Calvary Baptist Church c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas 66067.