Leona Rae Bottorff

Leona Rae Bottorff, 90, of Ponca, passed away Thursday, May 19, 2022 surrounded by her family.  Funeral services will be 10:00 A.M. Monday, May 23, 2022 at Salem Lutheran Church in Ponca.  Visitation will be Sunday, May 22, 2022 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. all held at the church.  Burial will be at Salem Cemetery in Ponca.  

Leona was born the daughter of Gehard and Marion (Nielsen) Nelson on July 23, 1931 in Maskell, Nebraska.  She graduated from Maskell High School and Wayne State Teacher College.  She taught school in Dixon County. 

Leona married Robert “Bob” Bottorff on July 15, 1951 at Faith Lutheran Church in Maskell.  The couple farmed in the Ponca area from 1953 to 1984, when they moved to Ponca and ran Centennial Lanes Bowling Alley and Steak House. In 1989, they moved to Kansas City, Mo., where they owned and operated K.C. Turf Master Sod and Landscaping until 1994 when they moved back to Ponca.  Bob passed away in 2002.

Leona enjoyed drinking coffee, visiting, baking cinnamon rolls, and being involved in church.  Family was one of the most important things to her and she never met a stranger that didn't leave as a new friend.

Leona was a member of Salem Lutheran Church and the American Legion 117 Auxiliary in Ponca.

Survivors include her two daughters, Jackie Mitchell of Wakefield, Neb., and Vickie (George) Tsiobanos of Sioux City; two sons, Scott (Maureen) Bottorff of Burbank, SD, and Troy (Pam) Bottorff of Kingsley, Iowa; 11 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Catherine (Dale) Nelson, Mavis (Ronald) Nelson, and Gloria (Gary) Nelson; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bob; infant daughter, Roberta Lee; son-in-law, Duane Mitchell; brothers, Don (Sylvia) Nelson, Gordon (Tood) Nelson, Gaylord (Molly) Nelson, Ronald Nelson, Dale Nelson, and Gary Nelson; sisters, Adeline (Hugh) Bostwick, Myrna (Ray) Rahn, Ramona (Elmer) Kamrath, and Twila (Dick) Taylor; brother-in-law, Clayton (Velma) Bottorff; and sisters-in-law, Shirley (Francis) Woodford and Maxine (John) Book.