KING, Leona B. "Lee"

KING, HERMANSEN, ELIASEN, HOLT, RINELL, SHINN, LEGGETT

Posted By: Pat Ludeke (email)
Date: 6/13/2013 at 00:48:12

Leona B. "Lee" King, 84, died of cancer on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at the Muse Norris
Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City, Iowa. A service to celebrate Lee's life
was held at Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake on Monday, Nov. 8, with Lay
Assistant Richard L. Scott officiating. Interment was in the Clear Lake
Cemetery.

Lee was born to John and Eleanor (Hermansen) Eliasen on April 4, 1920 in Clear
Lake. She was baptized, confirmed and married at Zion Lutheran Church. After
graduation from Clear Lake High School in 1938, Lee was a cashier in the coffee
shop at the Hanford Hotel in Mason City. During the early war years she worked
at Oluf T. Hanson's and then as an office assistant for Dr. R.W. Peterson in
Clear Lake.

She married James H. King on May 7, 1942 after Jim had completedbasic training
for the Navy and was home on 30-day delayed orders. When her husband returned
from an 18-month tour of duty with naval air groups in the Pacific,
he was stationed in San Diego, Calif. Lee followed him there and worked at
Consolidated Aircraft where the Navy's planes were being built.

After the war Lee and Jim moved to Clear Lake. Over the next few years three
daughters and a son were born. Lee enjoyed being a busy stay-at-home wife and
mother. As the children grew and were full-time students, she worked in the
school hot lunch program for 11 years. This allowed her to be home with her
family when school was not in session. In 1976 Jim was transferred to the general
office of Williams Pipeline in Tulsa, Okla. During their 20 years there Lee
volunteered at the Children's Medical Center. She also did custom sewing for
the Quilting Bee, a decorating business for homes and offices, and she was a volunteer for
Hospice.

Lee and Jim made several trips back to Iowa over the years to visit
family and friends, and in 1996 they moved back to their hometown. The
transition back to Clear Lake seemed so natural and once again they enjoyed
being close to longtime friends and their family. They rejoined Zion Lutheran,
and Lee became active in Do Days, the Elderberries, the Visitation Committee,
Prayer Chain and Circle.

Lee is survived by her husband, Jim; her sister, Marian Holt and two
sisters-in-law, Mary Eliasen of Clear Lake and Helen Leggett of Houston, Texas.
She has three daughters, Barbara Rinell (Jim) of Des Moines, Iowa, Ginny Shinn
of Denver, Colo., and Linda Royce (Jim) of Charleston, S.C. Lee was blessed
with 10 grandchildren, Michael and Christian Anderson of Des Moines and Amy
Anderson of Altadena, Calif., Brian King of Tulsa, Clint Baxstrom, and Tiffany,
Ryan and Todd Shinn of Denver, and Nicholas and David Royce of Charleston. Lee
also enjoyed four great-grand children, Alex Anderson, Lilly Baxstrom, Piper
King, and Aiden Anderson, along with several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Harry Eliasen, two
brothers-in-law, Keith Holt and Leo Leggett, and her only son, Curtis James
King.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials be dedicated to Do-Days
Group at Zion Lutheran Church or Hospice of North Iowa.