Leonard Warren Hamilton 1938-2012

HAMILTON, JOHNSTON, EASTIN, HATFIELD, SMITH, REED, SWEENEY, THOMAS, SLOAN, MORELAND, BARTON, HODGE, REBEL, TSCHETTER, SORENSON

Posted By: Curtis (email)
Date: 1/27/2012 at 14:15:34

DEATH NOTICE:

(The Leon Journal-Reporter Leon, Iowa January 18, 2012)

HAMILTON, Leonard Warren, 73, of Lamoni, Iowa, died on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at Lamoni Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Lamoni. Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 16, 2012 at Slade-O'Donnell Funeral Home in Leon, Iowa with Russ Hamilton and Pastor Jodi Rushing officiating. Interment was in the Davis City Cemetery, Davis City, Iowa.

Memorials may be given to the Davis City United Methodist Church of Care initiatives of Greenfield, Iowa.

Obituary -

(The Leon Journal-Reporter Leon, Iowa January 1, 2012)

LEONARD WARREN HAMILTON ... Leonard Warren Hamilton, son of Alva Warren and Ruth Eastin Hamilton was born August 5, 1938, on the family farm north of Cainsville, Missouri. Leonard had a happy childhood living with his parents, sister, brothers, aunts and grandparents on this farm until after high school. After high school he started farming a small piece of land for himself while working as a mechanic in Bethany, Mo., for Fordyce Tire & Hunter Motors. While working there he met and later married Karen Johnston; October 3, 1959. In January 1960, Leonard and Karen moved to the farm so he could work the land with his father until his father's death on January 1, 1973. Leonard enjoyed working at Casey's in Lamoni making pizzas and donuts for several years before retiring from farming. Farming was Leonard's true passion and over his life he raised hogs, had a dairy herd, raised beef cattle, custom combined and ran the road maintainer for Clay Township. Leonard spent many years assisting with the care of his mother (Granny) after his father's death.

Leonard served on the Clay Township board for over thirty years, many of those as president, served as a member of the Cainsville School Board, and was a member of the Davis City United Methodist Church.

The only thing Leonard loved more than farming was his family. Over the years he spent countless hours attending events, sitting in hospital waiting rooms, and in general loving his family. He was a wonderful husband, dad and grandpa. He had a gruff exterior but the one thing that could quickly dissolve it was the grand kids. (He was very unpretentious, he never had children or grandchildren, he had kids and grand kids). Leonard loved treating his grand kids to Dairy Queen ice cream and teaching them the life skills he had developed, some good and some questionable in their parents eyes. The Fourth of July on the farm always included shooting fireworks, during this event Leonard was the biggest kid of all. He may not have told his kids and grand kids how proud of them he was but he sure told everybody else.

Leonard was preceded in death by his parents, granddaughter Stefani Hamilton, brother Doyle, and brothers-in-law Leroy and Larry Johnston.

Those left to cherish and honor his memory are: wife of 52 years Karen, daughter Kathy (Gene) Hatfield, sons Kenneth (DeAnne) and Russ (Theresa). Grandchildren: Tanya (Bruce) Smith, Matt Hatfield, Greg Hamilton, Grant Hamilton, Sam Hamilton, Jean (Rick) Reed, Jessica (Zane) Sweeney, Jamie Hatfield, Meghan (Cale) Thomas, and Rachel (Josh) Sloan. 15 great grandchildren with number 16 soon to arrive, two great-great grand kids, sister Patty (Charles) Moreland, brother Roger (Marcia) Hamilton, mother and father-in-law Elmer and Edna Johnston, brother and sisters-in-law Eldon (Judy) Johnston, Shirley (Ken) Barton, Marilyn (Joe) Hodge, Carolyn (Gary) Rebel, Betty (Monte) Tschetter, Janiece Hamilton, Lori Johnston, a very special aunt Merle Sorenson, many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.