Leona was born on March 26, 1920. She married Melvin Slafter on March 20, 1938, and together they had five children. They were later divorced. She remarried and had seven more children. Leona loved being a mother and homemaker. She loved babies, baking bread, pies, and her specialty was bread pudding.
Leona is survived by her 11 children: Edith of Harmony, Minn., Merrill (Pat) Plattsmouth, Nebr., Marvin (Jean) of Spring Grove, Minn., Jennie (Jerry) of Spring Grove, Minn., Sharon (Larry) of Santa Rosa, Calif., Doris of Charles City, Iowa, Robert (Janice) of Kellogg, Minn., Miles of Austin, Minn., Alice of Austin, Minn., Isabelle of Santa Rosa, Calif., and Donna of Santa Rosa, Calif., 20 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and nine great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Leona will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 18, 2020, at Hindt Funeral Home in Spring Valley. Visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m. at the funeral home prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Leona Smith Memorial Fund at the Gundersen Harmony Care Center.