Alice Leona (Cregger) Weime

On Saturday, 18 January 2025, Our Heavenly Father decided He needed my wife as one of His organists for His Heavenly Choir and He took her from this earth with all its trials and tribulations and found a spot in Heaven for her. It was very hard to let her transition to Heaven, but I have assurances that it is where she is now, free from all sickness and pain.

Alice Leona Cregger Weime was born at home in Kirkwood Illinois on August 26, 1935 to Wayne P. and Ellen Cregger. Three more siblings would follow: Sister Kathy, sister Carol, and brother William. Leona, as she like to be called surrendered her life to Jesus at an early age and later in her life consecrated her life with Jesus.

On January 1st, 1954, she was on a double date with her best girl friend and met a young character by the name of Bill who was her girl friends date. Bill was smitten with Leona and felt in his heart she was the girl he wanted to marry and lo and behold they did just that on June 24th, 1954, and stayed married for 71 years and 4 months until she went home to the Lord!

Bill got drafted on June 25th, 1954, and stayed for 21 years until he retired as the CSM of 552USAAG, in Soegel, Germany on June 1st, 1977. Leona was Bill’s 5-star Commander and was very helpful in his career, only complaining like army wives do from time to time. LOL.

After retiring from the army, they finished building their home outside of Lewistown, Illinois. They lived in the basement for over a year and on Thanksgiving Day of 1978, moved upstairs.

In 1997, Leona was taking her daily walk up our lane and a crop duster came over her and failed to shut off his spray and she got soaked with the spray. About 18 months later she showed symptoms of Parkinson’s.

In August of 2000 they moved to Sierra Vista, Arizona. They had been snowbirds in the area since 1995 and both really enjoyed the area. Leona had an affinity for fishing! Every year we lived here in Sierra Vista we would go back to Illinois with our RV and stay at a lake campground. All you had to say was “let’s go fishing” and she was headed to the boat! She especially enjoyed fishing with her sister Kathy. Her ability to catch fish was remarkable. I’m sure if there is fishing in heaven, she’s on the lake!

Leona was also a very talented piano and organist. She played for many years at the Lewistown Church of the Nazarene and at the Sierra Vista Church of the Nazarene.

While in the Quiburi Mission Nursing & Rehabilitation in Benson, Arizona, she continued to play the piano from time to time. The residents and staff really enjoyed her music. She played the old hymns, not the 7-11 praise songs (7 words, 11 times!)

Leona is survived by her siblings, Bill her loving and devoted husband, and a son, James Matthew Weime, who resides in Lapu Lapu, Philippines. We also have 4 grandchildren: Candise Lunger, Isaiah Weime, GraceAnn Watson, and Emily Weime. 5 Great grandchildren: David, Elle, Embrey, and Alistair.

The last 25 years of her life has been wrought with sickness in the form of Parkinson’s Disease, which must be one of the worst insidious diseases.

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