Funeral services for Leona K. Erickson, 90, of Jefferson, will be 10:00am Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Jefferson, with burial in the Jefferson Cemetery.

Friends may call at Slininger-Rossow Funeral Home in Jefferson after 11:00am Wednesday, where the family will be present to greet friends between 6:00 -8:00pm Wednesday.

Leona Kathryn Erickson, daughter of Elmer and Lillian Tilley Ives, was born on August 25, 1916 at Ogden, Iowa. Leona was the oldest of 16 children that included 3 sets of twins. She attended country school in the Ogden area.  Leona, at the age of 13, was baptized in Des Moines, Iowa by Rev. Fred Riggins. In 1946, she was confirmed at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Jefferson by Rev. Walter Schultz.

Leona married Walter George Erickson in Omaha, Nebraska on December 19, 1933.  On September 3, 1934 Leona gave birth to a son, Carroll Walter, who died at the age of 18 days on September 21, 1934 of pneumonia.  The birth of Carroll Walter made Leona’s mother, Lillian, the youngest grandmother in Iowa. 

When Leona was a new bride, she wanted to make a cherry pie for Walter.  So she and Lillian went to Grandma Erickson’s to pick cherries.  She was afraid to climb the tree to pick the cherries so she cut the limb off the tree and then she and Lillian sat on the ground and picked cherries.  The pie was great.

Leona enjoyed volunteer work. She helped with funeral dinners at the Trinity Lutheran Church, delivered Meals on Wheels; she was a member of the Greene County Medical Center Ladies Auxiliary and helped with activities at the Greene County Fair.  She enjoyed cooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting, playing cards and taking care of her flowers and houseplants. Leona also won many apple pie baking contests.

Leona Erickson died March 4, 2007 at the Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson of congestive heart failure.  She was 90 years of age.  Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband, Walter in January 1985; infant son, Carroll Walter; 5 brothers, Harold, Thomas, Joseph, LeAnder “Jack” and Dwight “Bud” Anderson and 2 sisters, Deloris “June” Stoneburner and Honey Lou Hefler.

Survivors include one son, Dayle Erickson of Jefferson, IA; 2 daughters, Joyce Erickson of Knoxville, IA and Phyllis Hildreth of El Paso, TX;  grandchildren, Julie (Tim) Minnihan; Eric (Brenda) Hildreth and Steve (Carrie) Hildreth; great-grandchildren, Kaity, Nick and Mike Minnihan; Jordan, Cody, Ashley, Chase and Jarrett Hildreth.  Also surviving are 2 brothers Garold “Gary” Anderson and Duane “Butch” Anderson, both of Boone, IA; 6 sisters, Irene Huntley of Ames, IA; Lillian “Did” Lind and Helen “Peg” Bielfelt, both of Boone, IA; Doris Banford of Ogden, IA; Evelyn Gilliam of Pilot Mount, IA and Valletta “Bea” Coates of Malvern, IA.

Memorials are suggested to the Trinity Lutheran Church or the American Heart Association.