DRAKE, Leona: Died 1983

DRAKE, THOMAS, WARDLOW, KUTCHER, GOTTIER, LANHAM, MADISON

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 10/11/2020 at 17:34:46

Leona (Thomas) Drake

Leona (Thomas) Drake, daughter of Estelle E. "Cowboy" Thomas and Altha (Wardlow) Thomas, was born December 23, 1907, at Lancaster, Missouri. She passed away at the Knox County Nursing Home in Edina, Missouri, on June 8, 1983, at the age of 75.

Mrs. Drake was married to C.B. Drake in June of 1934. He preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her father; two brothers, Charles Thomas, who was killed in action during World War II, and Dick Thomas; and one sister, Lena May Thomas Kutcher.

Survivors are her mother of Newcastle, Wyoming; two sisters, Dorothy Gottier of Arvada, Colorado, and Juanita Lanham of Newcastle, Wyoming; one daughter, Elaine (Drake) Madison of Plainfield, Illinois; one son, W.P. "Bud" Drake of Port Charlotte, Florida; seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Mrs. Drake attended schools and graduated from the Lancaster, Missouri, High School. She taught for several years in Missouri and Illinois. She started in the car auction business in Decatur, Illinois, with her husband and then established her own car auction in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was a member of the Christian Church of Memphis, Missouri, and a 50-year member of the Business & Professional Women's Club of Memphis. She was a charter member of the Scotland and Schuyler County Historical Societies. She also belonged to the National Auctioneer's Association At the time of her death, she was a director of the Missouri Heritage Trust, a group actively working for historic preservation in Missouri.

Services were held at 2 p.m., Sunday, June 12, in the Norman Funeral Chapel at Lancaster with the Rev. Roy Starbuck officiating. Instrumental music was provided by Jane Watkins, organist.

Pallbearers were Robert Maize, Eugene Whitlow, Junior Beeler, Doug Shepherd, Wayne Mathes, and Jim Shaw. Honorary pallbearers were auctioneer friends. Interment was in the Darby Cemetery north of Lancaster.

Source: "The Hazel Stanford Obituary Collection", Pg. 67, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA