Leon, IA: Lenoir Elaine Sullivan Taff, age 95, of Leon, Iowa, the daughter of Robert Donald and Roberta Marie (Hacker) Premer, was born June 19, 1926, at Bethany, Missouri. She left this life from Westview Acres in Leon on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.
Lenoir grew up and attended school in Bethany, Missouri, graduating in 1944. She lived in Kansas City, Missouri, briefly before moving back to Bethany and marrying Joseph Junior Sullivan. They were blessed with two children, Philip and Lisa. They made their home in Bethany before moving to Leon, Iowa, in the early 1960’s. Lenoir was a full time wife, mother, and homemaker until Lisa was in school. In 1968, Joe and Lenoir bought the hardware store in Leon and renamed it Sullivan Hardware. Joe died suddenly on September 26, 1978, but Lenoir continued to operate the store. She stocked obscure items along with the usual hardware fare and always knew which shelf or corner everything was in. She took pride in the range of items she provided, from giftware to appliances, but nothing was more important to her than the customers, providing helpful service with lively banter for her many friends and patrons. Lenoir retired in 1998, after a thirty-year run at the store.
In March of 1997, Lenoir married Clyde LeRex Taff in Ft. Myers, Florida. They made their home in Leon. In her free time, Lenoir loved to golf. She was a member of the Leon Country Club and the Olde Hickory Country Club in Ft. Myers, Florida. She also loved to travel, including trips to Israel and Ireland with family and friends as well as several others around the country. She was a member of the Leon Rod & Reel Club in Leon and enjoyed gardening, attending auctions, and collecting antiques, especially glassware and old-style tools.
Preceding her in death were her parents; both husbands, Joe and Clyde; son, Dr. Philip Sullivan; and her brothers, Bill, Robert, and Louis Premer. Survivors include her daughter, Lisa Sullivan and companion, Jeff Criswell of Greenwich, Connecticut; daughter-in-law, Susan Lane and husband, Jim of Leon, Iowa; grandchildren, Adam & Melissa Sullivan, Andrew Sullivan, Charlie Rodger, Wyatt Rodger, and Elektra Rodger; great grandchildren, Jane, William, and Finley Sullivan; nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held at the Slade – O’Donnell Funeral Home in Leon, Iowa, at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, January 16, 2022, with Pastor Rick Hawkins officiating. Burial will be in the Leon Cemetery, Leon, Iowa. A memorial fund has been established by the Family for the Leon Golf and Country Club.