Leatha R. Hicks

Leatha R. Hicks, age 75, of Belle, passed away Monday, May 30, 2016, at the Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla surrounded by love.

Leatha was born on September 1, 1940, in Owensville, a daughter to the late Troy and Zoe (Campbell) Phelps.

She attended school in Redbird and Bland. Leatha was a member of the College Hill Baptist Church.

On November 29, 1969, she was united in marriage to Emmett Lloyd Hicks. He preceded her in death on March 6, 1994.

Leatha worked at Heartland Box Company in Belle for 20 years before retiring. She was known as "Ma Ma YaYa" to many and enjoyed getting on Facebook, sitting on her front porch, and listening to the police scanner to keep up with the action in town. Leatha was a St. Louis Cardinal fan and enjoyed her soap opera, the Bold and the Beautiful. She liked spending time with her many friends but her greatest joy was time spent with her family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She will be missed by her community as well as her family.

Leatha is survived by: seven children, Steve Newton and his wife Denise of Belle, Jeff Newton of Belle, Dnette Butler of Belle, Dinky White of Palmyra, Lloyd Hicks and his wife April of Belle, Cindy Butler and her husband Frank of Belle, and Frankie Hicks and her special friend Chris Mullinex of Belle; grandchildren, Josh, Jeremy, and Jerry Newton, KC and Kameron Newton, Ricky Butler, Michael, Kelsie, and Ethan Butler, Dakota Peterson, Chandler and Stormy Hicks, Paige Dean, Tucker Cordsmeyer, and Jennifer and John White; great-grandchildren, Layne and Annastyn Newton, Dalton and Daxton Newton, Gage, Brayden, and Bailey Newton, and Kayden Butler as well as many extended family members and friends.

In addition to her parents and husband, Leatha was preceded in death by an infant son, Timothy Newton.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, at the First Christian Church in Belle.

A celebration of her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at the First Christian Church in Belle with Pastor Mitchell Seaton officiating. Interment will follow in the Grovedale Cemetery near Bland.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Ya Ya's.