Elizabeth Lucile Leatherman

Elizabeth Lucile Slaughter Leatherman passed away on March 31, 2023. Elizabeth was born November 26, 1927 in Kansas City, MO, the daughter of John and Lora Slaughter. To all her knew her, she lived her life with enthusiasm. As she said later in her life, “she wouldn’t have a heart attack from working, but might have one from having fun.” Living in the country, she attended a 2 room school through 8th grade, usually walking home every day. Her grandparents lived next door on a farm that neighbored the Truman Farm in Grandview MO. At the age of 7 her parents took her by ocean liner on a trip to France and England. Although sailing in third class, she thought it was traveling high style with afternoon tea and turned back beds. At the age of 15, her picture made the front page of the Kansas City Star. One morning before going to school, a bank robber was waiting as her mom was dropping off her Dad for work at his bank and ordered all inside at gunpoint and wanted the vault opened. In the course of a struggle by her parents for the gun, Elizabeth hit him over the head with an iron crank from the vault which caused the gun to go off with a bullet ricocheting off her ankle. After graduation from Ruskin High School in 1945, she became a Missouri Tiger. Following that graduation, a close cousin invited her to come live in Bartlesville OK. She was able to get a job with Phillips Petroleum in the Land and Geological Dept. Soon after, a young T. Boone Pickens was hired to work in the same area. She said they sometimes played the game Battleship at lunch. It wasn’t long until she met Gerry in the bowling alley at Phillips and they were married on February 2, 1952. After Vicki Ann was born in 1953 and Warren Alan in 1954, she became a housewife, as were the times. She was involved in many activities, but church, gardening and bridge stand out. Later on, she and Gerry took up bicycling, camping, snow skiing and traveling. When Gerry didn’t want to go on a trip, she would find a roommate and go anyway, such as her trip to China and a Mediterranean cruise that went to Israel and Turkey. It seemed the older she got the more she did. Her activities into her 80’s included swimming, walking, church activities, MOW, bridge club, Culinary Group, sewing club, ushering at the BCC, home extension and book club. After Gerry died at age 96, she was able to take two more big trips. One a river cruise in Europe and a bucket list destination of Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca at age 88. At 89 she said in a Christmas letter, she had slowed down in her activities. After suffering a stroke at age 90, her life definitely had to slow down. But she had to get in one more late night joy ride after everyone thought there were no more car keys around. She was soon moved to Brookdale assisted living where she lived out her life. She will be remembered as someone full of life with a smile on her face, who always knew a good time. She was preceded in death by her parents John and Lora Slaughter, her brother Harold Slaughter and husband Gerry Leatherman. She is survived by her daughter, Vicki Esser and husband Rick of Bartlesville and son, Warren Leatherman of Spring Texas, Grandchildren Lori Just and husband Devin of Bartlesville, Matt Esser and wife Tina of Centennial, Colorado, Tabor in the US Navy, Alex and wife Brittany Leatherman of Saginaw, Texas and Natalie Leatherman of Denton,Texas, great grandaughter’s Claire Esser of Littleton, Colorado and Brittany Just of Bartlesville, OK as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. Join the family for her service on April 17th at First Presbyterian, 505 S Dewey, Bartlesville at 1 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name can be sent to First Presbyterian Church, 505 S. Dewey, Bartlesville, OK or YMCA, 101 N, Osage, Bartlesville, OK.

Elizabeth Lucile Leatherman

November 26, 1927 - March 31, 2023