(The following appeared in the Tipton Conservative.  This article, which has been slightly modified, was printed in the Tipton Conservative in 1986.)

Roger R. Leech, an attorney in Chicago, died at his apartment there on July 12, 1976.  His estate was left in trust for his sister, Hope Leech, who died July 19, 1977.  On her death the money from the state went to several individual bequests, but the major portion of the estate went to the Tipton Public Library. 

The bequest of Roger Leech, a 1919 graduate of Tipton High School, resulted in a gift of about $212,000 to the library. 

In addition to the large monetary bequest, the library also received a very valuable collection of Grant Wood painting and lithographs and a Marvin Cone painting.

The works by Grant Wood include 21 lithographs and 2 oils.

Katherine Carlisle ( a close friend of the Leeches) said that when Roger and Hope Leech returned to Tipton, they would often travel to Anamosa and Stone City, the home of Grant Wood for a number of years, where Wood and others stablished an artists' colony.  Leech would also travel to local art galleries where Wood's paintings and other works were on display.

"He knew everything about Grant wood," Mrs. Carlisle remembered.

Leech had people around the country keeping an eye out for the works of Grant Wood and he often kept up correspondence with many people in his effort to procure the paintings and lithographs.

The bequest of Roger Leech also included memorabilia of Leech's which recount how he collected Grant Wood's works.  The material included letters and photographs.