Herbert Arthur Leland

Herbert Arthur LELAND 1917 ~ 2011 US Army Retired Herbert Arthur Leland was born in Winona, Minnesota on March 10, 1917 and passed peacefully into the loving arms of the Lord on October 18, 2011. He was preceded in death by wife Dorothy and sister Florence; also sister-in-laws Jane and Donna. He is survived by his three daughters, Illana, Melody and Janell, and their husbands and families; also by his brother-in-law Victor, and foster daughters Dawn and Wendy. Herbert leaves behind 9 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild and many nieces and nephews. The Leland family left Minnesota in 1923 to move to Tacoma, Washington. Herbert's mother and sister traveled by train and he and his father drove to Washington in a Model T Ford. He often commented about the great and sometimes scary adventure he and his dad had. Their trip was 10 days long and 2000 miles of mostly dirt roads. After a short stay in Tacoma they moved to Seattle where Herbert attended school and graduated from West Seattle High School. Herbert loved music, choir, and dancing, but his greatest love of his life was a young woman he met in Seattle, Dorothy Elma Huff. They were married on September 15, 1940 and had a very wonderful life together for 69 years. Herbert entered the Army during WWII and served in the occupation forces in Japan at Kobe and at bases on Okinawa and in Germany. Stateside he was stationed at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama and at various bases before retiring from the Army at Fort-Sill, Oklahoma in 1965. He enjoyed his time in the service of his country and the opportunity it provided his family to see and experience the wonders of the world. After retiring from the Army he worked for the Boeing company and in land investment. After his final retirement Herbert and Dorothy volunteered in various groups throughout the Seattle area and they had the opportunity to travel with friends and family and thoroughly enjoyed their time together. Herbert will be dearly missed by family and friends and any tears shed will not be tears of sadness but will be tears of joy and celebration, because he will be home with his Lord and his family members who have gone before.