Leon Crist Neher passed away from this earth at the age of 90 on 18 November 2024 from natural causes in McPherson, Kansas where he lived at the Cedars Retirement Home during the past 7 years of life. Leon was born on 21 November 1933 and grew up in Quinter Kansas. Leon graduated from Quinter High School in 1952, McPherson College in 1957 majoring in Rural Life, and earned his Master of Divinity from Bethany Theological Seminary in 1961, and a Masters in Sociology from Ohio State University in 1963. He served on the faculty at Manchester College (Indiana) from 1963-1969 after which he moved his family to Quinter where he accepted the position as managing the three-generation family farm. His transition from professor to farmer grabbed the attention of the National Geographic Society who featured his dream of rural community development and the Quinter community in their book, Life in Rural America (1974).

He was licensed as a Church of the Brethren (COB) minister in 1952, ordained in 1961, and continued his lay ministry throughout his adult life, serving COB churches in Indiana, Ohio, Montana, and Kansas. He was invited to preach in other congregations across the country.

Leon's parents hosted missionaries from China, Africa, and Ecuador, as well as many Brethren Service workers and extended family members, in their home in Quinter. Those visits were a precursor to an academic year (1954-1955) he spent as an undergraduate student in India where he was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's practices of nonviolence that effectively resulted in India's independence from Great Britain. That year was life changing in terms of challenging his world and religious views and proved to be formative and foundational in shaping his philosophy of life and career goals. He faced culture shock upon his return to the US, discovering a difference between the cultural and religious training of his early life and his expanded world view. His efforts to understand these differences helped him to become a more effective leader and professor.

As a college student at McPherson College, he served as Youth Director of the Western Region for COB.

After graduating from Ohio State University, he was an Assistant Professor of rural sociology at Manchester College during the civil rights era where he seized the opportunity to march alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and be a voice for youth disenfranchised with the status quo of the American culture.

Leon joined the entrepreneurial spirit of the Quinter community in 1969, harboring a dream of expanding employment opportunities and strengthening rural communities. His priority was developing human capital. He taught courses in anthropology and sociology (1969-1976) on a part-time basis at Colby Community College in Colby, KS. As a farmer, Leon managed Paramount Farms, a diversified farm with a farrow to finish hog operation and farmed 2000 acres of fallow-rotation with milo and wheat.

In the 1980's, he transitioned the farm away from livestock to focus on growing and marketing certified seed for wheat, barley, oats and milo. He served on Agriculture Extension Boards in the 1970's including chair of the Gove County Board, Chair of the Northwestern Kansas Board and Vice Chair of the Kansas Extension Board. In that capacity, he was invited to speak or be a panel member for various state and national extension conferences. In the 1980's, he joined Crop Improvement Associations in Nebraska and Kansas and grew out foundation seed from varieties released by University of Nebraska (barley), Pennsylvania State University (barley), Texas A & M (wheat, barley), and Kansas Crop Improvement Association.

His seed business required his annual visit of up to 85 growers and dealers across the Great Plains (TX, NE, KS, OK) to connect with their personal lives and walk their fields to certify that the crop was disease and weed-free.

Barley seed was of special interest with Paramount Farm. His barley seed was sold for experimental purposes in Canada, Mexico, Ukraine, South Africa, and Korea. Visitors came from as far away as Russia to visit the Paramount Farm operation.

Leon viewed the farmer/prophet Clarence Jordan as a role model and, thus, made a conscious choice not to accept full salary for his church ministry and refused the title 'Reverend' because he wanted to function as a follower of, rather than worship, Jesus. He served at local, regional, and national levels. At the local level, he was often called upon to perform funerals and weddings, as well as tapped for sermons and informal counseling sessions for people across a spectrum of religious affiliations. He served COB as the Chair of the Western Plains District and as a member of the General Board at the national level, promoting a view of the church as a worldwide denomination. Leon was called to preach in churches and farm meetings throughout the country.

Leon's hobbies included gardening and writing poetry.

Leon was preceded in death by his parents Mark & Edith Neher and his siblings, Rowena Nicholson (Wichita, KS), Jimmy Garvey (Cerro Gordo, IL), and Galen Neher (Denver, CO).   He is survived by one sister, Colleen Haldeman of  Manheim, PA, and his four children: Tom (Marie) of McPherson KS, Deb (Tom Weicht) of Burlington VT, Mike (Carolyn) of Lombard IL, and Mark (Marcie Moller) of Portland OR, ten grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held 10:00 a.m., January 18, 2025 at the Quinter Church of the Brethren, 700 Grant St, Quinter, KS 67752 - Reception/Visitation 11:15 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (both open to the community and family).  I nterment with family at the Quinter Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Leon C. Neher to either Heifer Project International or Koinonia Farms. Donations can be made 1) directly with a phone call and a credit card, 2) by using a credit card on their respective website pages (follow the directions for donations in honor of…), or 3) by sending a check to the mailing addresses listed below:

Koinonia Farm
1324 GA Hwy 49 South
Americus, GA 31719
229-924-0391
https://www.koinoniafarm.org/donate/

Heifer International
1 World Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72202
855-948-6437
https://www.heifer.org/give/giving-in-honor.html

Baker Funeral Home Valley Center – Condolences may be left for the family at www.bakerfhvc.com