Name: Leon & Elfrieda Fleck

Parish: Holy Family Church, Jasper

Married, number of children: We were married in 1959 … this July we will celebrate our 47^th anniversary. We raised six children, but we lost our oldest daughter when she was 22. We have 17 grandchildren.

Tell me three things about yourself that defines who you are. Both of us have been extremely active in our parish. We have also been very involved in diocesan programs and other community activities. We enjoy our grandchildren and are very close to them.

Where did you grow up? Leon: I grew up in the country, just outside of Jasper. I was the last of five boys … we were too poor to have any sisters! We grew up without electricity and indoor plumbing. We didn’t have much, but we enjoyed every moment we had. I went to a one-room schoolhouse for elementary school. That was very interesting, to have eight grades in one room. I used to like to tell people I graduated in the top three of my class (there were only three in the class!). I attended Jasper High School, and after graduation, I volunteered for the draft and joined the 82^nd Airborne during the Korean Conflict. I served two years active duty and nine years with the military police active reserve. Elfrieda: I was the youngest of four girls, and I also had one younger brother. We lived in Jasper – in town. We were members of St. Joseph Church, and that’s also where we went to elementary school. My eighth-grade teacher told me that I should become a nun, so when I was 13, I left home to attend high school at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. My plans changed when I was a novice. I came home when I became ill, and a little later, I met Leon … the rest is history.

How did the two of you meet? Leo: Some people don’t believe in love at first sight, but that’s what happened. After I got out of the service, I worked at the Dubois County Bank (Now Old National Bank). We were closed on Thursday afternoons, so a buddy and I decided to go boating. We saw these two gals on the beach. One of them caught my eye, and I told my friend, “I’m going to marry her.”  He knew that she was studying to be a nun, and he said, “You can’t marry her … she’s going to the nun factory at Terre Haute.” Well, he was wrong. We were married about a year later.

What is an early memory of church? Leon: We walked three miles every Saturday morning for religion classes at St. Joseph. I remember going to church twice on Sundays and fasting from midnight on before we received communion. Back then, if you didn’t understand Latin, you didn’t know what was going on at Mass. We just prayed the rosary until the priest was finished. I enjoy going to Mass a lot more today because it is in English and everything is more community-oriented. Today, it is a lot more meaningful for me to go to Mass. Elfrieda: One of my earliest memories was when I made my First Communion … and we were confirmed the same day in the afternoon. During Lent, I remember when they turned out the lights in church and shook clappers … that made an impression on me. I remember taking my breakfast to school in a lunch bucket on First Fridays to eat after Mass because we fasted before receiving communion.

Who was your hero or someone you looked up to as a child? Leon: My parents, and I also really respected Msgr. Othmar Schroeder. President Kennedy was also an inspiration in my life. I have been involved in politics over the years … it is a great interest of mine. Elfrieda: My parents. I looked up to them for just about everything. They had a very strong faith.

What form does stewardship take in your life? What have you been involved with at your parish? Elfrieda: We have been involved in lots of things at Holy Family over the years. We taught religion for a number of years. We used to help prepare food for the picnics … there were always lots of parishioners who pitched in and worked together. We were in the first group of lay people to become Eucharistic ministers several years ago. Until about a year ago, we were very active with the homebound ministry and took communion to the sick. I still help with Mass at one of the nursing homes. In the past, we were active with Pre-Cana and the Christian Family Movement. Leon has been on the diocesan Board of Education and the Holy Family School Board, and he is still active as a member of the parish foundation board. We were honored to receive the Brute award several years ago.

What is your role in the Jasper Wisdom Day? Elfrieda: I have been the chairman of the Jasper Wisdom Day for several years. It’s a day of prayer, learning and fun for Catholics age 50 and up. There are two meals served – breakfast and lunch – and there are prizes given away, too. In Jasper, it has been a very successful event. Last year, we had to cut it off at 550 people. We even invite residents from all of the Jasper-area nursing homes, and we have lots of volunteers to help them when they get here. The next one will be Sept. 18 at the Jasper Inn & Convention Center. One of the speakers will be former Archabbot Lambert Riley of St. Meinrad.

What other kinds of community activities have you been involved with? Leon: I have had the privilege to serve under three Indiana governors: I was on the State Board of Election under Gov. Orr, the Department of Motor Vehicles under Gov. Bayh, and the Lottery Commission under Gov. O’Bannon.

What are your hobbies? Leon: I have enjoyed being involved with various community and political activities … I enjoy working with people. Elfrieda: When our kids were growing up, we did a lot of outdoor things with kids … water-skiing, boating, etc. I volunteered at the museum and have been active in church and ministry activities.

Where was your first job? Leon: Other than being in the Army, working at the bank was my first and only job. I worked there for 43 years. Elfrieda: My first job was working in the X-ray department at Memorial Hospital when I was 14 years old. When I came home from the novitiate, I worked for a doctor’s office. I quit when we had our children. After they were raised, I opened a flower and gift shop: The Flower Stall Hearth and Home, which one of my sons runs today. I retired from the shop to become a full-time grandma!

What do you like most about being Catholic? The Eucharist. There are many other things about our faith, but that’s our number one reason for remaining Catholic.

What is your favorite religious item? Leon: The outdoor marble statue of Mary

that he purchased from Italy when he was in high school, and which goes with  us to wherever we live. Elfrieda: Mine would be my crucifix necklace, but there are many other things as well.

Have you ever experienced a miracle or God’s intervention in your life? Leon: When I was in the military, I was riding in a truck with three other men when an M-48 tank hit us. It tore our truck into pieces … it broke in half. None of us were hurt badly at all – just scratches and bruises. To me, it was a miracle that none of us died.

Describe a time in your life when you had to rely on your faith. Leon: When I jumped out of airplanes. Everybody was a good believer in those days. Elfrieda: Every day.

What’s the best advice you can give someone else? Leon: Keep your faith, don’t give up, and don’t live in the past. Try not to worry. Elfrieda: Put God first before everything – God, family and community. Always remember that there is a good side and a bad side to everything. Try to see the good in everything.

What is the secret to a long marriage? Leon: Do everything you can for your partner and always listen to them. You can’t get in an argument that way. Elfrieda: If each of you gives 100 percent, not much can go wrong in your marriage.