Leland Ross, age 94, of Perry passed away on Monday, April 26, 2021 at the Perry Lutheran Homes Kings Daughters Campus in Perry, IA. A celebration of his life will be held on Friday, May 7, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at the St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Perry. Burial will be in the Reeseville Cemetery at Reeseville, WI. Everyone is encouraged to wear face coverings and practice social distancing while attending the service. Memorials will be given to Grand Lodge of Iowa, 813 1st Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 and may be left at the Carris Family Funeral Home & Cremation Care. Online condolences may be left at www.carrisfuneralhome.com.
Leland John Ross was born on May 10, 1926 at Milwaukee, WI to John A. and Caroline E. (Schroeder) Ross. Leland graduated from the COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL on the ISTC campus in Cedar Falls, class of 1944. He continued on at ISTC, majoring in Spanish, French, and Economics. He graduated with a BA in November 1949. In August of 1970 Leland and Maria Celia Barreda Davila of Saltillo were married in a civil ceremony at Edinburg, TX. The marriage did not work, and after about 18 months they were divorced. He taught in the public schools of Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. During the teaching years he did graduate study at the University of Wisconsin, Illinois State University, and UNIVERSIDAD INTERAMERICANA at Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico where he received the MA degree. This was followed by additional graduate study and research at the UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE MEXICO in Mexico, D.F., Mexico.
Leland was very proud of the fact that he was recruited to sing in the children’s choir at an Episcopal Cathedral in Milwaukee. He was a lifelong Episcopalian and was a member of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Perry where he served on the Parish Vestry. He was also a member of Honor Lodge 46, AF & AM, Dike, Iowa, a life member of the National Education Association of the United States of America, a life member of the Illinois Retired Teachers’ Association, AARP, and the TIN CAN TOURISTS of the World, Inc.
In death he rejoins his parents John and Caroline Ross.
Left to cherish Leland’s memory are his cousin Larry Ross, friends M. Richard and Carleen Hill, Bill Jennings, Douglas Johnson, and Shane Cooney.