Jean Mae Lease Klepinger (April 23, 2018)

Jean Mae Lease Klepinger, age 93 of Greenville, Ohio passed away at 4:56 AM Monday April 23, 2018 at the Brethren Retirement Community Greenville, Ohio. She was born December 17, 1924 in Richland Township Darke County, Ohio and the daughter of the late Earl C. and Florence L. (Clark) Lease. Jean was a 1942 graduate of Greenville High School and was employed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base following graduation.

She was married for 50 years to Byron L. Klepinger and worked in their insurance agency.

Jean was baptized and a member of the Zion Wakefield Lutheran Church and then St. Paul Lutheran Church of Greenville. She was an active member of the Ladies Aid and used her sewing talents to make numerous lap robes for the nursing homes, baby quilts for the new members and large quilts sent to countries in Africa. She was a member of The Towne Squares Quilt Club of Greenville since 1981. She was also active in the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Greenville Memorial Post #7262.

In 1998, she helped start the GHS Alumni newsletter and was on the Board of Directors and Development and Circulation committees. She also organized yearly class reunions and monthly luncheons for her class of 1942.

Jean traveled with her husband on antique car tours across the country. They were “Extras” with their cars in the movie “The Great Race” in 1963. She also loved to go to the Great Darke County Fair, particularly taking her grandchildren, nephew and great nephews and never missed a year.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Byron, sister and brother-in-law Phyllis and John Miller, sister-in-law Opal Lease and nephew David C. Lease.

Jean is survived by daughter Jan (Bill) Garner, son Bruce (Barbara) Klepinger; grandchildren Nicholas (Rhianon Harris) Garner, Darcie Garner, Ted Klepinger and Nash Klepinger; great grandchildren Quentin, Cheyanne and Joshua; brothers Clark Lease and Donald (Joan) Lease and sister Martha (Larry) Boyd as well as numerous nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday April 28, 2018 in the Zechar Bailey Funeral Home Greenville, Ohio with Pastor Alan Knoke officiating. Burial will follow in the Abbottsville Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Saturday from 1:00 PM until time of the services in the funeral home.


It is the wishes of the family that Memorial Contributions be given to the St. Paul Lutheran Church Endowment Fund or the State of the Heart Hospice of Darke County.

Condolences for the family may be sent to www.zecharbailey.com.