Speed Butler Leas ¹

  General Notes:

Speed Butler Leas came into this world on April 6, 1884 in Keokuk, Iowa, and was educated in Decatur, Illinois. He worked as a stenographer and clerk for the Wabash Railroad, and later worked for the Santa Fe Railroad Company in Needles, California.

He came to Fresno in 1906 with Santa Fe to work as a stenographer, timekeeper, and divisional accountant. Eventually, he set out on his own to work as a Real Estate Agent.

At the age of 23, he joined Las Palmas Lodge and was raised on June 27, 1907. In 1912, Leas became the eighth Master of the Lodge. After his year as Master, Leas served as lodge treasurer for 32 years (1913-1945).

Leas was also very active in the Fresno community. He had been chairman of the Fresno County Planning Commission, and had been president of the Fresno Board of Education. Leas also served on the Fresno City and County Chamber of Commerce industrial and tax committees, and had been a director of the California School Trustees Association.

Leas was also devoted to his church, the First Congregational of Fresno.

At the time of his death on March 14, 1964 at the age of 79, Leas had 2 sons (Hambleton and Nate), a daughter Barbara, five grand-childen and one great-grandchild. He was survived by his wife Orpha. ²

Speed married Orpha Newcomer, daughter of Nathaniel H. Newcomer and Barbara Brown. (Orpha Newcomer was born on 23 Feb 1885 in Bryan, Williams County, Ohio, USA and died on 12 Aug 1988.)