Leland J Gutscher , 88, retired in 2018 from Tree Top Nursery, passed away on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, in the Franklin Park Memory Care Facility in San Antonio, Texas.  He was born October 19, 1931 on a farm in Burr Oak, Kansas to Walter Gutscher and Olive (Lamb) Gutscher who were of German, Irish, and English descent.  He grew up in a large family of 10 children and at a very young age had to learn how to handle a team of horses to run the farm.  He left home at age 15 on his saddle pony and began a life on his own and graduated from farm work to construction work and then taught himself how to weld, thus began his 40 year steel working career.  He married Mary Lou Kreinbring on July 30, 1952 in Fairbury, Nebraska and they raised a family of 4.  His first welding job transferred him to Wichita, Kansas in 1955 and he made this area his home for over 64 years.  He worked for several steel companies in town until 1995 when back injuries forced a job change and he began working at the nursery where he worked until age 87.   After the death of his wife in 2015 his own health began to decline and in March 2018 he moved to San Antonio to live with his daughter Judy and her husband Fred.  As his dementia worsened, he was moved to a Memory Care facility nearby in August 2019 where he remained until his passing.

He loved the outdoors and was an avid fisherman, hunter, and enjoyed camping and boating with friends at many of the lakes in the 3 state area.  Another passion was his induction in the Midian Shrine Temple of which he was a lifetime member.  He was a member of the Tin Lizzie unit and thoroughly enjoyed driving his little car in the many years of parading in the small towns and cities in Kansas and the conventions he attended in outlying states.  He loved selling tickets for the annual Midian Shrine Circus and personally purchased a dozen extra each year to pass out to his neighbors with children.  He truly enjoyed helping his neighbors and was popular in his ability to make welding repairs for them.

He was preceded in death by all of his 9 siblings, his wife Mary Lou Gutscher, and his youngest son, Rod Gutscher.  He is survived by son Randy, his wife Beverley, and two granddaughters and 1 great granddaughter from Madison, AL; son Kenny from Wichita, KS; and daughter Judy and son-in-law Fred Sanderson from San Antonio, TX; and several loving cousins, nieces, nephews and a host of friends.

Memorials may be designated in his memory, in lieu of flowers, to the Alzheimers Association.

Visitation 4-6 p.m., Friday, October 9, at Baker Funeral Home Valley Center. Services will be held 10:30 a.m., Saturday, October 10, at the Whitewater Cemetery, 10878 W. 72 ^nd , Whitewater, Kansas (KS 196 & S. Harvest Hill Rd). Condolences may be left for the family at www.bakerfhvc.com