Leroy Willard Kuest

Leroy Kuest, a native of Odessa, died Saturday, February 21, 2015, at Rockwood at Hawthorne care center. Born in Odessa on August 25, 1918, he was the last of seven children of Julius and Rosena Kuest, who had homesteaded in the area before 1900. Leroy graduated from Odessa High School, worked for the local Richfield service station and in 1942 joined the U.S. Air Force.

Throughout World War II, he was stationed in eastern England near Bury St. Edmunds, where he was a crew chief maintaining B-17 bombers – a member of the 331st squadron of the 94th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force. At a dance in London, he met his future wife, Margaret McCurdy of Winnipeg, Manitoba. They were married in Odessa September 15, 1946.

Leroy and Margaret went on to live in Quincy, Odessa and Moses Lake before moving to a ranch on Indian Prairie in the Nine Mile area northwest of Spokane in 1961. They owned and operated a Tastee Freeze on Ash and Nora in Spokane, as well as the Hole ‘n One Donut Shop at the Northtown mall. Leroy also delivered fuel for Cenex in Reardan and often drove a truck during harvest.

Throughout his life, Leroy helped keep alive the history of the 94th Bomb Group by sharing his memoirs and extensive collection of photographs from the war. He was also active in organizing reunions of former servicemen from the 94th. He and Margaret returned to England more than once and in the 1990s were present for a ceremony dedicating a rose garden on the abbey grounds of Bury St. Edmunds to the 94th Bomb Group servicemen who had been stationed nearby at Rougham Air Field.

In retirement, Leroy and Margaret greatly enjoyed their farm and animals before moving to an apartment at Hawthorne Manor retirement community in north Spokane in 1998. Over their lives, they were members of Christ Lutheran Church in Odessa, Messiah Lutheran in Spokane, Emmanuel Lutheran in Reardan, and St. Luke’s Lutheran in Spokane.

Leroy was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Reinhold and Oscar Kuest; sisters Alma (Smith), Edna (Schimke) and Maude (Giese); and his wife Margaret in 2005. He is mourned by his nieces Janice (Giese) Graham of Spokane and Grace (Kuest) Schauer of Chelan; nephew Eugene Kuest of Moses Lake; great-nephew Jay Graham of Portland, Ore. and great-niece Margaret Graham of Seattle, as well as many good friends.

A memorial service is being planned for Rockwood at Hawthorne and a graveside later in the spring. Please sign the online guestbook at http://www.stratefuneralhome.com. Strate Funeral Home in Davenport is caring for the family.