Leda F. Buller Kaufman was born December 18, 1937 to Herman H. and Elizabeth (Neufeld) Buller in Buhler, Kansas. She passed away Monday, May 27, 2024 at the Newton Medical Center. She attended the Buhler Mennonite Church and was baptized there. In 1955, she graduated from Buhler High School and made plans for her wedding. On September 4, 1955, she married Gilbert P. “Gib” Kaufman at the Buhler Mennonite Church. Together they moved to Denver, Colorado, for 1W Service where a year later, their first son, Brian, was born. By 1957 they moved to the family dairy farm near Eden Mennonite Church, Moundridge, where their next son, Warren, was born. Later she had two daughters, Sondra and Lynelle. Their four children kept her busy throughout her life.
Alongside Gib, she farmed by feeding calves, driving tractors and trucks and milking cows. She was also able to put together a great tasting meal regularly (sometimes microwaved), whether it be for two or twenty people. She always had Little Debbie snacks on hand. Gib preceded her in death on January 31, 2005. She later married Jim Gaeddert on July 11, 2012. With Jim, they wintered to Sun City, Arizona and enjoyed watching the Royals spring training. With her new family, Leda embraced Jim’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren as her own and always remembered their birthdays. Jim preceded her in death on June 10, 2022. She missed her husbands and was able to find companionship with her friends from Buhler, Eden Mennonite Church, and Pine Village.
She was preceded in death by her parents, HH and Elizabeth Buller; husbands, Gib Kaufman and Jim Gaeddert; granddaughter, Maggie Rath; brothers, Lewis, and John Lee and his wife, Beulah; sister, Erma and her husband, Melvern Goering; and sister-in-law, Rose Buller.
Those left to remember her include her brother, Richard Buller of Colorado; sister-in-law, Mirial Buller of California; sons, Brian Kaufman of Moundridge, Warren Kaufman and wife, Jerri of McPherson; daughters, Sondra and husband, Robert Tolle of Lawrence, Lynelle and husband, Russell Stucky of Moundridge. Leda had 10 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Jim’s sons, Doug Gaeddert and wife, Lisa of Indiana; Greg Gaeddert and wife, Terri of Cottonwood Falls, Brad Gaeddert and wife, Tracy of Overland Park; Jim’s daughter, Janelle and husband, Dan Benninghoff of Overland Park. Jim had 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, May 31, 2024 at Eden Mennonite Church Cemetery, rural Moundridge. Memorial services will follow at 11 a.m. at the Eden Mennonite Church and can be livestreamed at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83269405047?pwd=aBK8ACag6ArJTyU1NfrAfeb4xSVR8V.1. Friends may call from 4 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 30, at the Moundridge Funeral Home, with family present from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Heifer International in care of Moundridge Funeral Home, PO Box 410, Moundridge, KS 67107.