Adolph Carl Leifeste, 97, of Kingsland died Aug. 28, 2018
Adolph Carl “A.C.” Leifeste, 97, of Kingsland passed away Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, at Windchime Assisted Living facility after suffering a stroke.
A.C. was born June 15, 1921, to Agnes and Arthur Leifeste in Castell, Texas.
He met his wife, Eleanor Lucille O’Donnell of Castell, in 1942, and they were married Nov. 20 of that same year prior to his shipping out overseas for duty with the U.S. Army in World War II. He and Eleanor were married for 74 years at the time of her passing on Oct. 21, 2017.
A.C. saw combat in World War II as a noncommissioned officer and section leader with the Texas 36th Division. He saw action in North Africa and landed in Salerno on Sept. 3, 1943, as the leading edge of the Allied invasion of Italy.
When A.C. returned from service, they set up house in Burnet, where his wife’s family also lived. The Leifeste family soon began to grow with the birth of a son and daughter. After the births, the family moved to Llano for a brief period before Eleanor convinced her husband the children would get a better education if they moved to San Angelo. A.C. agreed, and they subsequently settled there to raise their two children. A.C. got a job with the San Angelo Standard-Times in the display advertising department.
A.C. and Eleanor lived in San Angelo until their children graduated from college then moved back to the Burnet area, where A.C. commuted to work at the Austin American-Statesman as a display advertising salesman until his retirement. After his retirement, he and Eleanor commuted back and forth between Burnet and San Angelo for many years to help take care of their daughter, who had developed multiple sclerosis.
After their daughter’s passing, they sold their house in Burnet, and A.C. and Eleanor moved to Robert Lee, Texas, to be close to friends. A.C. and Eleanor made friends easily wherever they settled and were active in the Baptist churches in the communities where they resided.
A.C. is survived by his sister, Arlene Leifeste; son, Tim Leifeste and wife Pam; Tim’s children, Joshua, Justin, and Benjamin; his deceased daughter’s son, Jason Coward; Jason’s father, Jimmy Coward; numerous nieces and nephews; and five great-grandchildren.
A.C. was preceded in death by his father, Arthur Leifeste; mother, Agnes Leifeste; wife, Eleanor; brothers, Lamar and Andrew; sisters, Louise Mordica, Emily Birk, and Ruth Farmer; and daughter, Carla Ann Coward.
Memorials may be made to Highland Lakes Baptist Church, 716 RR 2900, Kingsland, TX 78639, or a charity of your choosing.
Arrangements by Putnam Funeral Home and Crematory, 145 Texas Ave. in Kingsland, (325) 388-0008. Go to putnamcares.com to offer condolences.