The Denison Press
Friday, February 7, 1946

Death Takes J. B. Leeper, Early Denison Settler

Denison citizens lost from its circles one of its oldest in point of continuous residence this week when John B. Leeper one of the builders of the Leeper building at 331 Main, died after a week's illness.  Mr. Leeper for several years operated a wholesale business in the Main street building. He belonged to a family of businessmen who did much in the development of Denison business life.
Funeral services were conducted Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Bratcher-Moore Funeral Home. Rev. Cyrus Barcus, officiating, with interment at Fairview.
Mr. Leeper was born Feb. 4, 1865 at Richmond, Va., his parents being Mr. and Mrs. John Palmer Leeper.
His father came to Denison in 1873, making the last leg of the trip by ox wagon and established a hardware and lumber business in the young town. Two years later he brought his 10-year-old son, John Bell Leeper, to Denison where the latter resided until his death.
After attending public schools here, Mr. Leeper studied at Austin College, Sherman. His first employment was with his father in the lumber and hardware business.
Mr. Leeper joined his brother, Ed Leeper, still a resident of Denison, and Mr. Boldrick in construction of the Security building, the tallest structure in North Texas or Southern Oklahoma. The building originally had five stories and was built at heavy cost.
Mr. Leeper and George Hall of Kansas City established the Hall-Leeper Hardware firm in 1894.  The firm was located for a number of years at N.W. corner of Houston Avenue and Chestnut Street, where it was operating in 1925 when Mr. Leeper closed the firm. Mr. Hall remained in Kansas City and was not active in operation of the business.  The firm served a wide North Texas and Southern Oklahoma area.
Mr. Leeper married Miss Cora Shields in West Virginia, Oct. 30, 1892. Mrs. Leeper died in 1940. The first Leeper home was at 831 West Bond and later the family erected a dwelling at 829 West Gandy. The home was at 1016 West Morton for some time prior to Mrs. Leeper's death, after which Mr. Leeper moved to 825 West Main.
He was a member of the Waples Memorial Methodist Church, the  Elks and the Woodmen of the World.
Surviving are two sons, John Palmer Leeper of Robert Lee, Texas, who was associated with his father in the hardware business, here for several years, and Dr. Edward Leeper, Dallas; one brother, Ed Leeper, Denison; two sisters, Mrs. R. M. Leeper, Los Angeles, Cal., and Miss Dellie Leeper, Denison, and three grandchildren, Miss Nancy Leeper, John Palmer Leeper Jr., and Towner Shields Leeper.