Leonard W. Ehlers, a retired official court reporter of the 36th Judicial Circuit of the State of Missouri, passed away on March 27 in Columbia, Mo.
Leonard attended LaSalle College of Court Reporting in Jefferson City. He was first employed by the State of Missouri with the Unemployment Compensation Commission as a Commission Reporter, followed by the Division of Workmen’s Compensation until entering the Army in 1942. During World War II, he was stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., and served as chief reporter of the 7th Service Command. He came to Poplar Bluff in 1945 as the official court reporter, a position he held for forty years until he retired in 1984.
He held many titles in the court reporting profession and was one of the founding fellows in the Academy of Professional Reporters. He served eleven years including three years as president, on the Executive Committee of the Missouri Shorthand Reporters Association Board. He served five years on the Board of Directors of the National Court Reporters Association, including as president from 1965 to 1966.
At age 88, Leonard wrote and published a book of his memoirs titled Forty Years Under the Bench, which chronicled many of his personal and professional experiences.
