Katherine Anne Sibert

1952 - 2020

KATHERINE ANNE SIBERT

Katherine Anne Sibert, the spouse of Jerry Leases, died of a sudden illness Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, at SIH Memorial Hospital in Carbondale.

She is survived by her husband, Jerry; two sisters; one brother; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Katherine Sibert was born Oct. 18, 1952, in Jacksonville to Robert F. and Jessica B. Sibert. She was the third of their four children. She graduated from Jacksonville High School, attended Earlham College in Indiana, and continued taking courses at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

She married Jack Meyer in 1973 and he preceded her in death. She married Jerry Leases in 1986 at Giant City State Park and they lived in the country south of Murphysboro. Katherine liked to hike, fish, birdwatch and garden outdoors. She engaged in many hobbies, such as making stained glass, sewing and cooking. She was an avid reader of books and a Scrabble superstar. She and Jerry lived with a constant population of cats and golden retrievers. Her voice was well-known in the Southern Illinois area because of the many years she spent reading stories on radio station WSIU in Carbondale.

Her body will be cremated. A Celebration of Life will be held at Diamond Grove Cemetery in Jacksonville at a later date. Her family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorials in her memory be made to nature.org.