Leona E. Howard

Leona E. Howard, 88, of Lawton, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, May 17, 2008, at the Kingsley Nursing and Rehab. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 23, 2008, at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel with Reverend Robert Blair officiating. Visitation will be held 1 hour prior to the service. Services will conclude at the funeral home. Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

Leona Elaine (Willer) Howard was born July 31, 1919 to parents Clifford and Laura (Eberly) Willer. She was born at her Grandmother Cora Eberlys home in Lawton with her sister present to welcome her. She attended Lawton High School and graduated in 1937. She worked as a babysitter for many schoolteachers.

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

Leona 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 itwith the exception of spiders. She enjoyed visiting with her friends during their F.A.N. Club meetings. 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 Stockmens 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, NE, Ray and Myrna Howard of Kingsley, IA, and Sharon and Dan McCoy of Moville; five grandchildren, Tammy and Milton Baca of Albuquerque, NM, Thomas and Julie Howard of Cedar Creek, NE, Chad Howard of Grime, IA, Kyle and Angy McCoy of Sioux City, IA, and Laura McCoy of Lincoln, NE; and 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, SD., 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.