02/11/2026
We pray for the family of Doris- Her Katahdin sisters.
Doris Jean Weitzel passed away peacefully, on January 5, 2026, at the Mitchell Care Center at the age of 90 with family and friends by her side.
The visitation and gathering with the family will be held on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Jones Mortuary in Mitchell, Nebraska. Her funeral service will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at The Vine United Methodist Church in Mitchell, Nebraska with Pastor Rick Reisig officiating. Interment will follow at the Mitchell City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given in her name to The Vine United Methodist Church in Mitchell, Nebraska or donor’s choice. Online condolences may be made by viewing Doris’s memorial page at www.jones-mortuary.com. Jones Mortuary in Mitchell is entrusted with arrangements.
Doris Jean Weitzel was born February 17, 1935, in Buffalo Gap, South Dakota, to Cecil and Dorothy (Roberts) Harmon. She attended elementary school in Buffalo Gap, South Dakota, and high school in Hot Springs, South Dakota.
She graduated from the South Dakota Business School in Rapid City, South Dakota. Her first job after graduating from college was working in the office at the VA Hospital in Hot Springs, South Dakota.
After college, she married George Raymond Leach. They were blessed with three sons, Jeffrey, Craig, and Kevin. Unfortunately, George passed away at a young age due to injuries from an automobile accident.
She later met Elwood Weitzel, with whom she was married to for 59 years. They made their home in Mitchell, Nebraska, where they farmed and ranched for many years. Doris could be found operating farm equipment, irrigating, and herding and working cattle. After marrying Elwood, she gained two bonus children, Wendy and Eric.
During her lifetime, she was a member of The Vine United Methodist Church of Mitchell, where she was active in the church auxiliary. She was a member of the Mitchell American Legion auxiliary; a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution; board member and secretary of the North Platte Valley Irrigation Association; a member of the Pen Women Club; a member of the Scotts Bluff County Willing Workers Homemaker’s Club, holding titles of president, vice-president, secretary, historian, and treasurer. Every summer, she volunteered at the Scotts Bluff County Fair. She was a judge at local high schools, for speech competitions and spelling bees. During her school years, she participated in spelling bees taking first place on many occasions. During and after high school, she played in a polka/Dutch hop band, traveling throughout South Dakota and adjoining states. She was proficient in playing the piano, organ, keyboard, harmonica, tambourine, saxophone, and accordion. Although she could read music, most of the songs she played were played by ear. She made wedding cakes and birthday cakes for many people, did clay sculpturing, gardening, was an excellent cook, and participated in art shows, where she sold many of the paintings she had done. If there was a good auction on Saturday, you could find her at the auction or a garage sale on the way home. She loved antiques and any unique knick-knack she could find. Every summer, she would scout the garage sales and buy stuffed animals to put in the children’s grab bags at the fair. Doris spent many hours researching her family genealogy lineage and painted a family tree. She and Elwood loved to travel to Deadwood, South Dakota, to play the slot machines and drive through Custer State Park. She always called South Dakota home.
She wrote short stories and poetry, of which some of her writings were published. One poem she was especially proud of was her poem “Big Boys Never Cry” which she entered into a poetry contest and won first place. This poem was then published and entered into the records of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
She leaves to mourn her passing, her children Jeffrey (Susan) Weitzel; Craig (Cindy) Weitzel; Kevin (Donna) Weitzel; Wendy Lewandowski (fiancé Jay Neibauer); Eric (Carree) Weitzel; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Donald Harmon and sister-in-law Mariann, her brother Edward Harmon, her husband George Leach, her husband Elwood Weitzel, and numerous aunts, uncles, nephews, and a niece.
The family wishes to give a special thanks to the Mitchell Care Center staff for giving exceptional care to Doris during her stay.
