LEILA ERNESTINE MAPHET

Leila Ernestine Boldes was born on June 17, 1927 in Beaver County, Logan, Oklahoma, to Ernest and Virginia Boldes.  Leila attended school in Rosston, Oklahoma, graduating from Rosston High School in 1945.  Ernestine received scholarship awards to attended Panhandle A &M College.  Ernestine taught elementary grade school 4, 5, 6, and string instruments and piano.  Ernestine met and later married David Bernard Maphet on December 26, 1945.  To this marriage three sons were born, Tony, Terry, and Victor.  Ernestine was a member of the United Methodist Church, Gate, Oklahoma.  Ernestine served all church offices and taught all ages of Sunday School Classes.  Ernestine also served on various church committees.  Ernestine and David ran a cream and produce station in Rosston when they were first married. Though the 50’s and 60’s she refinished and reupholstered furniture, while helping David carpentry work papering, painting, finishing woodwork, and cabinets.  Ernestine pieced together 429 quilts by hand and machine, hand embroidery and crochet items.  Ernestine became a Postal employee in 1964, later promoted to Postmaster in 1972, where she retired from the Post Office in 1987.  Ernestine taught several different Postal Training Classes at Training Conferences, received National Bicentennial and United States Postal Service Bicentennial Award.  Ernestine serviced her community by helping to establish the Gateway To The Panhandle Museum and Library.  She wrote many books, poems, songs and three family genealogies.  Ernestine accomplished so much in her lifetime, but the thing I remember the best was when we were moving cattle, and they went the wrong way.  When we got up to her place, she was beating our bull with a broom.  He was rubbing on her cedar trees.  She was even using a few words I had never heard her say before.  We got him away from her pretty quickly, that scene will always be in my mind.  Ernestine was preceded in death by parents, Ernest and Virginia Boldes, husband, David, two sisters, Elsie Ford, and Sharon Raye McAleney, two brothers, Melvin, and Marvin Boldes, two sisters-in-law, Joan Boldes and Donna Boldes, two brothers-in-laws, Avery Ford, and Norman McAleney.  Ernestine went to be with her Lord and Savior on October 18, 2023 at the Ashland Long Term Care Unit in Ashland, Kansas.  Ernestine is survived by her three sons, Tony and spouse Pamela, Terry and spouse Daisy, and Victor and spouse Rhonda. Grandchildren, great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.  Ernestine will be greatly missed by all that knew her, she was a dear lady.   

In Lieu of flowers the family suggest memorials to the Gate United Methodist Church PO Box 84,  Gate, OK. 73844, or to the Gateway to the Panhandle Museum PO Box 135, Gate, OK. 73844.