Paul Pershing Leasure
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 8A - October 26, 2011
Paul Pershing Leasure,
92, Grand Junction, died Oct. 24,
2011, in Grand Junction.
Visitation will be from 1 to 2
p.m. Friday at Callahan-Edfast
Mortuary Chapel. Services will
be at 2 p.m. Friday at the mortuary.
Burial will take place at
Palisade Municipal Cemetery.
Mr. Leasure was a pastor and
a printer.
Survivors include four sons,
Lauren Paul of Grand Junction,
Timothy Lee of Palisade, Randall
Mark of Monument, and
David Martin of Canyonville,
Ore.; 16 grandchildren; and 23
great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions to
Hospice & Palliative Care of
Western Colorado, 3090B North
12th St., Grand Junction 81506.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 5B - October 27, 2011
Reverend Paul Pershing Leasure
went to be with the Lord on October
24, 2011. He was a faithful
servant of the Lord for the greatest
part of his 92 years.
Paul was born in the family
home near Madison, Pennsylvania
December 5, 1918 to Cyrus
and Ella Sherbondy Leasure.
Even though his start in school
was delayed a year by the crippling effects of polio he managed to
advance a year and graduate on schedule from the eighth grade in
1936. During the years of 1936 to 1940 he attended the Wiles Gospel
Mission and found fellowship with other young people. During
those years they held jail services and street meetings. In 1940 he
left for Denver Bible Institute to prepare for ministry. He graduated
as president of his class in 1943. He also married Virginia May
Strouse in June of that same year.
Pastor Leasure pastored five Baptist Churches over a period of 42
years, including Pear Park Baptist of Grand Junction, and Grace
Baptist of Palisade, Colorado. He also had a radio and prison ministry.
His teaching was always centered on the Gospel, God's inerrant
Word. His knowledge and understanding of the Bible was extensive,
and the number of scriptures he had committed to memory was quite
staggering. He had a beautiful tenor singing voice and a wonderful
sense of humor. During the years that he was a pastor, he also
worked in the print business where he gained a reputation as being
accurate. His work for print companies included The Daily Sentinel,
Aspen Times, The Delta County Independent, Fruita Times, and the
Sentinel Printing Company.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia; two brothers, Joseph
and Harry; two sisters, Katherine Leasure and Gail Logan, and
his youngest son, John Richard of Phoenix, AZ. He is survived by
four sons and their wives, Lauren and Julia (Jensen) of Grand Junction,
CO; Timothy and Linda (Pritchard) of Palisade, CO; Randall
and Ginny (Russell) of Monument, CO; David and Karen (Kamas)
of Myrtle Creek, OR, and Diane (Railsback) Leasure of Greeley,
CO. He also had 16 grandchildren, and a passel of great-grandchildren.
Paul loved music, especially country gospel. He played the guitar
and mandolin in his younger years. He also liked to fish and hunt
and competed in target shooting. When his sons competed in high
school sports, he rarely missed a game.
Paul Leasure lived a life of remarkable accomplishment. Although
he served smaller communities and congregations by today's standards,
he was a tireless and diligent worker in the service of the
Lord his entire Christian life. He loved the words of Jesus when he
said "the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:36) The words "well done
thou good and faithful servant" have at last fallen on the ears of
Reverend Paul Leasure.
Services for pastor Leasure will be Friday, October 28, at 2:00 p.m.
at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary.
