Leona J. Kirkland

Visitation: 1:00 to 8:00 p.m., Monday, September 6th at Ochiltree Funeral Service & Aftercare. Family will be present to receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Funeral Services: 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, September 7th at the United Methodist Church in Macksburg. Burial: Moon Cemetery, rural Macksburg, Iowa. Memorials: May be directed to the United Methodist Church of Macksburg. Leona was born December 16, 1919 in Bushnell, Illinois, the daughter of Johnson and Viva (Leach) McDonald. She graduated from Afton High School in 1937 and later received her teaching certificate from Iowa State. She taught country school in Union County for one year before getting married. She married Ralph “Bussy” Kirkland on November 5, 1938 in Maryville, Missouri and to this union three sons were born; Warren, Carl, and Ronald. Leona was a homemaker and enjoyed raising her children and helping on the farm. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother who never missed an opportunity to babysit. She was a member of the Macksburg United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women Society. She was a member of the Hawthorne Rebekah Lodge, WRC, Red Hat Society and also a member of Farm Bureau. She enjoyed quilting as well as baking, cooking and making noodles, but most of all she enjoyed family. Leona died Thursday, September 2, 2010 at the Creston Nursing and Rehab Center. She was 90. She is survived by two sons, Carl Kirkland and wife, Peggy of Lorimor and Ronald Kirkland and wife, Denise of Macksburg; two sisters, Ruby Dibel of Creston and Bonnie Pulliam of Creston; one brother, Dale McDonald of Creston; a daughter-in-law, Betty Kirkland-Hughes; eight grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren. Preceding her in death are her parents; husband, Ralph who died October 7, 2005; son, Warren Kirkland; six brothers, Francis, LeRoy, LaVern, J.R., Forrest, and Marion; one sister, Eleanor; and a granddaughter, Brenda Kirkland Smith.