Leonard, Gene Avery – 1932-2014

CARLSON, HENDERSON, HIGGINS, HUNT, LEONARD, LOONEY, OWEN

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 3/18/2023 at 08:11:03

Gene Avery Leonard died on July 4, 2014 at the age of 82. He was born to Carl Avery Leonard and Noma Henderson Leonard on March 24, 1932 at the family farm at Mingo, Iowa. Gene was the oldest, followed by George, Grace, and Carolyn. Gene graduated from Mingo High School in 1950. On August 21, 1952 Gene married Marilyn Carlson at the Mingo United Methodist Church.
Gene served in the US Army from 1950 to 1954, serving 2 tours of duty.
Gene had a reverence for the land. He wanted to leave the land better than he found it. He put up a silo and followed a rotation of oats, hay and no more than 2 years of corn, all fed to the cattle. At the end of the process, manure was carefully spread on the fields. For 30 years, Gene provided well for his family with income from cattle alone. Gene also worked to restore 35 acres of timber on the farm, a project that continues to grow and renew the land.
During the years on the farm, Gene was a dedicated Heifer International supporter, absorbing the costs himself so all the proceeds could go to HPI. He fed out several loads of Heifer project cattle. He also organized local churches to share the corn harvest with HPI Ranch at Perryville, AR. Gene also served as the HPI Director for the Des Moines District, speaking in many churches on behalf of HPI.
Gene was also active in the Mingo community serving for 40 years as the treasurer of the Ashton Cemetery Association and for 30 years as Sunday School Superintendent of the Mingo United Methodist church.
Gene retired from farming in 1991. He sold the farm and he and Marilyn moved to Des Moines. Because he was blessed with good health and had lots of life left he wanted to give back to others. For more than three years he worked as the House Manager at the Door of Faith Mission working with men who were homeless, becoming lifelong friends with some of the men. In 1996 he began thirteen years of almost daily volunteering at Children and Family Urban Movement (CFUM) arriving each morning by 6:00 to help prepare and serve breakfast for children, do the dishes afterward, and many, many fix and repair, more and tote jobs as needed.
After moving to Des Moines, Gene and Marilyn were active members of Grace United Methodist Church. Gene had a long tenure as an usher at Sunday services. He and Marilyn moved to Mill Pond Retirement Center where he returned to his roots and became the volunteer groundskeeper for the sidewalks along the pond keeping it clean for the ducks and geese.
Gene developed a lung infection in 2013 and spent several months at home supported by his family and Mercy Hospice.
Gene is survived by his wife, Marilyn; son Andy and his wife Laura of Mingo; grandchildren Elise & Michael, step-granddaughters Chandra & Matt Looney; Christina & Brian Higgins, step-great-granddaughters Gracelynn & Natalie Looney; Laela Higgins: daughter, Denise Owen and her husband, Doug, of Ankeny; grandchildren Erica, Tyler & Trevor Owen. Gene also leaves a sister, Carolyn Hunt, and her husband, Governor James B. Hunt of Lucama, North Carolina, and a sister-in-law, Linda Leonard, Van Buren, AR, and several other relatives and close friends.
A private burial will be held at Ashton Cemetery near Mingo. A celebration of Gene’s life will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2:00 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Grace United Methodist Church or Children and Family Urban Movement.
Source: Des Moines Register; Tuesday, July 8, 2014, page 10A