Marcella Briand, 94, passed away on March 9, 2019 at the Cedar Village Care Center in Ness City, Kansas. She was born on October 5, 1924 in Ness City, Kansas the daughter of Philip and Antonetta (Wasinger) Leiker.

Marcella was a nurse’s aide at Grisell Memorial Hospital, Ransom and was a medical assistant for Dr. Prakorn in Ness City. She was a member of Sacred Heart Church and Altar Society and was a Sacristan. Marcella loved to sing and play the piano. She sang in the Sacred Heart Choir, she was a Cantor, led the Singing Seniors and loved to sing in the local Christmas cantatas. She volunteered at Prairie Mercantile and for Meals on Wheels. She was the site manager of the Golden Years Leisure Center, Ness City for many years and was very involved in all areas of the center. She was an active member and former secretary of the Ness County Historical Society.

She married Maurice “June” Briand Jr. on December 13, 1950 in Ness City. He died June 8, 1995.

Survivors include her son, Marc Briand of Mission, KS; her four daughters, Suzanne Clark (Steve) of St. Helena Island, South Carolina, Michele Gillaspie of Seattle, WA, Laura Briand of Olathe, KS, and Simone Briand (Roger Wilder) of Overland Park, KS; two brothers, Ronald Leiker of Orinda, California and Kenneth Leiker of Vinita, Oklahoma; two sisters, Mildred Koob and Edna Brown both of Wichita; six grandchilden, Willa Fowler, Laura Weston, Cody Giess, Wacy Giess, Lilah Wilder, and Annabelle Wilder; and three great-grandchildren, Aubrey Everett, Riley Giess, and Waverly Weston. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, June Briand, two brothers, Alvin and Norbert Leiker; and three sisters, Lorena Leiker, Henrietta Haas, and Dorothy Hurd.

Vigil will be on Friday, March 15, 2019 at Fitzgerald Funeral Home at 7:00 p.m. Funeral service will be on Saturday, March 16, 2019, 11:00 a.m., at the Sacred Heart Church, Ness City. Burial will be in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Ness City.

Memorial contributions may be given to Cedar Village.