Palestine High School Alumni Association

Lois Marie Turbyfill Leggett 1938
Born 12-22-1920
Died 09-12-2002
Age  81

Services for Lois Leggett, 81, of Palestine, will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Palestine City Cemetery with the Rev. Mike Glenn officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Herrington/Land of Memory Funeral Home.

Mrs. Leggett died Thursday at Cartmell Home for Aged.

She was born December 22, 1920, in Palestine to Edgar Wilson Turbyfill and Eunice Evans Turbyfill.

Mrs. Leggett graduated from Palestine High School in 1938. She was a member of Memorial Christian Church.

After graduating from high school, she pursued a longtime dream of becoming a professional singer. She began a world tour as the lead vocalist with some of the biggest Big Bands of the era.

A few she sang with included Sandy Sandifers Band, Happy Felton and Griff Williams Orchestras. She was the star vocalist at the Palmer House in Chicago and performed along with Red Skelton and Tony Martin during that time. She was so popular in the 1940s that a Lois Lee doll was named after her.

Mrs. Leggett is survived by son, Ken Leggett of Palestine; daughter, Lana Crudup of Austin; brothers, Wayne Turbyfill and Russell Turbyfill, both of Palestine; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Honorary pallbearers will be Greg Harris, James “Bubba” Perry, Dennis Carroll, Ty Cobble, Greg Morgan and Nat Coleman.

Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Anderson County Humane Society.

Source: Palestine Herald-Press 09-13-2002