Billie Jane Leascher Erb passed away in Rolla, Missouri, on February 17, 2016 at the age of 91. Her husband of 64 years, Philip Louis Erb, passed away on August 31, 2009. Jane is survived by her children and their spouses: Helen and Troy Richardson of Rolla, Ellen Erb of Fenton, Sally and Jim Hitt of Kentucky, and Phyllis and Alvin Barnett of Republic, 12 grandchildren: Jason, Jessica, Jacqueline, and Jordan Adams - Julie, Jenny, Edward and Jesse Hitt, - Adam, Scott, and Brad Barnett and Susan Bohnstedt; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Jane was born on June 28th 1924 in Nowata, Oklahoma to Helen and Cecil Leascher. At that time, her father worked at the License Bureau and her mother owned a dressmaking shop. She had an older brother, Bob whom she adored and later, a younger brother Ben. During the depression years Jane lived in many different places including Oklahoma, Iowa, Texas, California, and Missouri. After graduating from high school in San Antonio, Texas at the age of 15, she attended Draughn's Business school in Springfield, MO. From Draughn's, she worked at the Frisco, and then became the secretary to Mr. E.E. Neely, the principal at Reed Junior High in Springfield, Mo. It was the teachers at that school who encouraged her to go back to school and get her teaching degree. So at the age of 19 she enrolled in MSU which was then Springfield Teacher's college. Jane earned her B.S. in Education in 1947 and her Master's Degree in Education in 1975.

In 1946 she met Phil Erb on a blind date and they were married in 1947. That was also the year she graduated from college and had her first teaching job in Sparta, Missouri. Jane and Phil moved to Marionville where he owned and operated Erb's Market and Jane taught school for the next thirty years…both in Marionville and in Billings.

After retiring, Jane and Phil sold their beloved home in Marionville and moved to Springfield where they lived across the yard from the Wesley Methodist Church. These were busy years for Jane as she became immersed in her church as the prayer chain leader, substituted at OTC, ushered at the Springfield's Little Theater and became a travel coordinator for Cultural Heritage Alliance out of Philadelphia, Pa. She planned European tours every year and gathered groups of people to accompany her to European countries such as England, Ireland, Scotland, Greece, and Belgium. She visited her children and became active with Phil in the Purple Hearts organization.

In her spare time, Jane enjoyed sewing, gardening, oil painting, hand work, playing cards and dominos with friends. In spite of her many interests, she said many times that her happiest roles were as a mother actively raising her children and her time as a teacher.

Visitation will be Sunday, February 21, 2016 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 12:30pm, with the Rev. Jim Hitt officiating in the funeral home. Interment will follow in Missouri Veterans Cemetery.