Leon Dickerson

Leon Franklin Dickerson, 74, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

He was born Dec. 4, 1936, in Jackson, the son of Lawrence C. and Beulah M. Clingingsmith Dickerson. He and Margret Taylor were married July 4, 1954.

Leon was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church near Pocahontas. He owned and operated Dickerson Garage in Jackson for 40 years. He served in the Missouri National Guard from 1954 to 1964, was active in TPA on the local, state and national level and was a member of the American Legion Post 63 in Cape Girardeau. He was also a member of the Cape Elks Lodge 639, an endowment member of the NRA, a founding member of the Cape Area Friends of the NRA and was a Hall of Fame member of the Cape Girardeau Area Bowling Association.

Survivors include his wife of 56 years; four sons, Tom (Ruth Ann) Dickerson, Chuck (Carlis) Dickerson and Doug (Heather) Dickerson, all of Jackson, and George (Nina) Dickerson of Millersville; a brother, Gene (Pat) Dickerson of Oswego, Kan.; six sisters, Ann Kutscher of Jefferson City, Mo., Marie Gohn and Becky (Al) Klob of Jackson, Alma Slemmer of St. Louis, Faye (Jim) Carver of Farmington, Mo., and Wanda (Phil) Gragg of Edina, Mo.; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a grandson, Matthew Dickerson; a brother, Gary Dickerson; and three brothers-in-law, Gordon Kutscher, Lloyd Gohn, and Don Slemmer.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home with the Revs. John Rhodes and Thomas Bray officiating.

Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

Memorials may be made to Cape Area Friends of the NRA, TPA Scholarship Trust for the Hearing Impaired or to the TPA Homer T. Wilson Fund.

Sympathy messages may be sent to the family online at www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.