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Charleen Dorothy Leingang, 85, died peacefully surrounded by her children on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 in Springfield, Missouri.

She was born June 17, 1934 in North Dupo, Illinois, the daughter of Edna Sophie Schmidt and Charles Berghoefer.

She began her work life in a stenographic pool at Laclede Steel in Illinois, followed by St. Regis Paper Company, at which time she met her husband John Carl Leingang, who was the car pool driver. They spent two years living in Hawaii, ultimately married in 1964 and settled down in Rantoul, Illinois where they ran the famous Spudnut potato donut business and adopted their three children – John Charles, Jeffrey Charles, and Janet Charleen. Charleen became a Certified Professional Secretary and served as the executive assistant to the manager of Comb Laboratories in Rantoul. After moving to Springfield, Missouri in 1978, she worked at Drury College, taught sewing at Stretch and Sew, and ultimately was the executive assistant to four sequential presidents over a 19 year tenure at Litton Industries. Her cooking and baking skills were unlimited and she was a master seamstress, having created a made-to-fit tuxedo for her husband, prom dresses based on pictures from catalogues for her daughter, and innumerable beautiful clothes to adorn her entire family. In addition to the above and raising her children, she always remained active in her community and the Catholic Church. In these realms, she served as the President of the Rantoul Junior Women’s Club, served as a Eucharistic minister, and devoted herself for many years to singing in the Holy Trinity Church Choir and serving as a volunteer at the surgery waiting room desk at Mercy Hospital.

Beyond all of the above talents and, most important to her, was her role as mother, grandmother, and friend. Her devotion, commitment, support, and loyalty in each of these roles was unparalleled. She loved deeply, was deeply loved, and will be greatly missed.

Charleen is survived by her older son and his wife, John and Sundee Leingang of Rogersville; her younger son and his wife, Jeffrey and Kim Leingang of Leominister, MA; her daughter Janet Rucker, M.D. of New York, NY; her grandchildren, Jeffrey Leingang, Charleen Durand and her husband Nathan, Andrew Leingang and his wife Megan, Kelsay Wells and her wife Taylor, and Alexis Leingang; three great-grandchildren, Carter, Amora, and Sutton, and many other relatives and friends.