Leman Curtis Marlay

Leman Curtis Marlay, an 85-year-old resident of Chillicothe, died on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 at Saint Luke’s North Hospital due to complications of COVID.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020 at the First Baptist Church at Chillicothe. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Burial will be held at 2 p.m. at the Locust Valley Cemetery at Browning.
Open visitation will be held from noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at the Lindley Funeral Home at Chillicothe, which is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Marlay was born on June 1, 1935 near Milan, the son of Lee and Lorraine Lawrence Marlay.
He was raised on a farm in rural Milan. He was a member of the FFA and received the Star Farmer Award. He graduated from Milan High School in 1953, then worked at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City. He entered the Army and spent two years in France.
He waws married on June 4, 1960 to Ruth Ann Jennings of Browning, who survives.
He was a supervisor of a factory in Brunswick, then enrolled in the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1961, graduing with a bachelor of science degree in science in 1965. The couple moved to Chillicothe, where he taught middle school science for 27 years. After retirement, he volunteered with the “Mentor Project” at the middle school and with Meals on Wheels.
He was a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Chillicothe for 50 years, teaching Sunday school for several decades, serving as Sunday school superintendent for many years, sining in the choir and helping at Grand Oaks Retreat in Chillicothe.
He was a Mason for 60 years and enjoyed gardening, fishing, rock collecting, making rock jewelry and genealogy. He was a 4-H leader for 10 years and in 2019, he and his wife were chosen as Livingston County 4-H and FFA Fair Honored Fair Legion Members.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Marlay is survived by two daughters, Jan (Stewart) Shettle of Baltimore, MD and Jill (Dave) Allgood of Superior, NE; a son, Jerry (Beth) Marlay of Columbia; five grandchildren, Harley, Daniel, and Aaron Allgood and David (fiancee Lorin) and Rachel Marlay; a great-grandson, Jake Trissler; a sister, Verleta Callihan of Humphreys; and five nephews, Jim and John Hoselton and Martin, Brian and Roger Callihan.
He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents, Albert and Elfie Tharp Marlay and Ralph and Bessie Neely Lawrence; a sister-in-law, Marilyn (Paul) Hoselton; and a brother-in-law, William Callihan.
Memorials can be made to the First Baptist Church of Chillicothe and/or Locust Valley Cemetery at Browning. They may be left at or mailed to Lindley Funeral Home at PO Box 47, Chillicothe, MO 64601.