Leila Luedeking

Leila Martha Jordis Lindquist Luedeking passed away peacefully on November 18, 2019 in Pullman, Washington surrounded by family members.  She was a loving and devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother.

Leila "Lee" was born July 19, 1929 in Grenora, North Dakota to Ottmar Victor Magnus Lindquist and Mary Martha (Gildersleeve) Lindquist.  Leila and her five younger siblings grew up on a farm outside Hill City, Minnesota.  Sisters Anne Simms, Betty Stone, and Viola Stewart and brother Bernhard Lindquist survive her.  Her parents and brother, Ottmar John Lindquist, predeceased her.

Leila attended Itasca Junior College in Grand Rapids, Minnesota on scholarship and then the University of Minnesota where in 1952 she met and married Robert Luedeking.  After receiving his doctorate degree in 1956, Robert was hired by WSU to teach Chemical Engineering, and the Luedeking family (now with two young daughters), moved west to make Pullman their home.  Three more daughters were born into Leila and Robert's family.  Once the youngest started preschool, Leila completed her Master's degree at WSU in English Literature.  She then worked in WSU Library's special collections until her retirement.  After 57 years of marriage, in October 2009, Leila's husband Robert passed away and she moved to Pullman's Bishop Place.

Leila had a lifelong love of learning, including languages (French, Greek, Latin, Swedish and old and middle English); English and Classical Literature, violin and piano; and fashion design.  Leila researched, wrote and published in 1992 an annotated bibliography of Leonard Woolf ( Leonard Woolf: a Bibliography , by Leila Luedeking and Michael Edmonds.)  Following her retirement, she took up watercolor painting, specializing in flowers and local nature scenes.  She was a long time member of St. James Episcopal Church, the AAUW, and belonged to several Pullman book clubs for many years.

Leila is survived by her five daughters:  Karen Luedeking (Spokane, WA), Christine Gray (Moscow, ID), Barbara Crandall (Kenmore, WA), Helen Thomas (Pullman, WA), and Sylvia Luedeking (Broomfield, CO); four grandchildren:  Celina Thomas, Jeffrey Gray, Natalie Crandall and Natasha Mahoney; and three great grandchildren:  Marcus, Mason and Maisie.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date perhaps in the Spring at St. James Episcopal Church. She will be laid to rest privately by the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to a favorite charity.

Please sign the guestbook and share memories of Leila at: www.kimballfh.com. KIMBALL FUNERAL HOME, PULLMAN, is caring for the family.

A special thanks is extended to the staff at Bishop Place and Kindred Hospice who cared for Leila.