Mary Celeste (Leary) Klebba, 96, passed away Nov. 30, 2023, at her home in Linn.
She was born Sept. 11, 1927, to the late George Authur and Pauline (Motschenbach) Leary in Jefferson City.
She attended St. Peter’s Elementary School and graduated in 1945 from St. Peter’s High School in Jefferson City. Celeste then attended Mount St. Scholastica College (now Benedictine College) in Atchison, Kan., graduating in 1949 with a BA in Sociology.
After college, she taught at Beattie High School in Beattie, Kan., Nerinx Hall in Webster Groves and at Fatima High School in Westphalia.
Celeste was united in marriage to John H. Klebba Aug. 7, 1954, at St. Peters Catholic Church.
After her marriage, she retired from teaching and became a full-time mother and homemaker, raising eight children, although for many years she served as a substitute teacher at St George Catholic Grade School in Linn. Celeste also volunteered as coach of the school’s speech teams and taught high school CCD classes for St. George Catholic Parish.
She was an active member of St. George, as well as St. Ann’s Sodality and the Osage County Historical Society.
Celeste was preceded in death by husband, John; parents, George and Pauline; daughter Karen Van Dyke; and sisters, Jane Riley and Jean Waldron.
She is survived by children, John Klebba and wife Lisa and Tom Klebba and wife Shelley, all of Linn, Michaeline “Mickey” Klebba of Dallas, Texas; Peter Klebba of Wauwatosa, Wis., Dr. Peggy Conley and husband Brian of Jefferson City, Molly Forge and husband Kurt of Overland Park, Kan. and Patty Hunter and husband Chris of London, England; 21 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and son-in-law, Mark Van Dyke of Shawnee, Kan.
Visitation will be held from 4 until 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 7, at St. George Catholic Church in Linn. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at noon, Friday, Dec. 8, at St. George Catholic Church with interment following at St. George Catholic Cemetery.
Memorial contributions suggested to St. George Parish School.
Arrangements entrusted to Morton Chapel in Linn.
