Leona E. Howard 1919 - 2008

HOWARD, WILLER, EBERLY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 5/19/2013 at 17:30:46

Sioux City Journal
22 May 2008

LAWTON, Iowa -- Leona E. Howard, 88, of Lawton passed away Saturday, May 17, 2008, at Kingsley Nursing and Rehab Center in Kingsley, Iowa.

Memorial services will be 2 p.m. Friday at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel in Sioux City, with the Rev. Robert Blair officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service Friday at the funeral home. Condolences may be sent online to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Leona Elaine (Willer) Howard was born July 31, 1919, to Clifford and Laura (Eberly) Willer. She was born at her grandmother, Cora Eberly's, home in Lawton, with her sister present to welcome her. She attended Lawton High School and graduated in 1937. She worked as a baby-sitter for many school teachers.

She married Harold Howard on March 14, 1942, in Burbank, Calif., where she had been working as a waitress. In 1943, the couple moved to Omaha. They later moved to their final home in Lawton.

She was a superb homemaker and loving wife, mother and grandmother. She was a spiritual person who enjoyed the beauty of the outdoors and had a love for all the animals in it, with the exception of spiders. Before modern technology came along, local fire calls would come to her home phone and she would alert the town fire department. For years, she worked at home putting fiberglass whips together for Stockmen's Inc. She was a wonderful seamstress both at hand stitching and on the machine. She crocheted doilies and rugs and everything in between. During her senior years, she enjoyed competitive games of "marbles" (Aggravation) with her friends and family.

Survivors include her husband, Harold of Lawton; three children, Jim and Nancy Howard of Lincoln, Neb., Ray and Myrna Howard of Kingsley, Iowa, and Sharon and Dan McCoy of Moville, Iowa; five grandchildren, Tammy and Milton Baca of Albuquerque, N.M., Thomas and Julie Howard of Cedar Creek, Neb., Chad Howard of Grimes, Iowa, Kyle and Angy McCoy of Sioux City and Laura McCoy of Lincoln, Neb.; seven great-granddaughters, Bailee and Kaylee Baca of Albuquerque, Morgan Belew, Anna, Eva and Lilly McCoy of Sioux City and Madison McCoy of Lincoln; two brothers-in-law, Don Grigg of Lawton and Willis and Dorothy Howard of Rapid City, S.D.; and nephews, Jack and Leslie Howard of Lawton and Tony and Cathy Grigg of Sioux City.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Mabel Grigg; a nephew, Mark Howard; and a sister-in-law, Nadene Howard.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Siouxland.