Leone Leitheiser

Leone walked into the loving arms of Jesus at 100 years of age on Wednesday October 30th surrounded by her family at the Ecumen Cottages.

Leone Muriel Hanson was born at home to her parents, Ray and Hilda Hanson in Westbury, Minnesota on leap-year February 29, 1924. She was the oldest and only girl out of four siblings. She attended the one-room schoolhouse of district 7 and later moved into Detroit Lakes to finish high school. She worked in the school library and in principal George Simpson’s office where she earned $9.00 a month, just enough to pay her room and board to live in town. 

From age 12 on, one of the things that she looked forward to every fall was the Becker County fair where she would enter homegrown vegetables, canned goods and later in life, homemade braided rugs, all of which earned her countless blue ribbons until she was in her mid-80’s.

After high school, she attended business College in Fargo for accounting and bookkeeping. She then worked for Midland Co-Op doing bookkeeping. On September 26, 1943 she was united in marriage to Bob Leitheiser. They moved to Fargo where Leone worked for National Bank and Bob worked at Northstar dairy. Shortly thereafter they moved back to Detroit Lakes and bought a house on West Avenue where Bob started his welding and fabrication business. Four years later, they purchased a farm 1 mile north on Richwood Road, which became their family’s home and place of business for the next 38 years and where Leone sold Avon and did the company’s bookkeeping. After retiring in 1985, they built a new home together near Pickerel Lake where they lived contented for the next 30 years. Leone enjoyed going to garage and auction sales. She restored many pieces of antique oak furniture and was very fond of blue cobalt glassware. But her greatest treasure was always her family and her marriage of 72 years to Bob.

Throughout her entire life, Leone was a soft-spoken, kindhearted, spiritual and forgiving woman and mother (but never a pushover).

She is survived by one brother, Wesley (Evy) of Detroit Lakes, one daughter, Linda Kiehl (Arnie) of Detroit Lakes and two sons, Merl (Connie) of Sauk Rapids and Larry of Detroit Lakes along with 11 grandchildren and numerous great and great-great grandchildren.

Awaiting her in heaven are her husband Bob and son Dean (Janet), parents Ray and Hilda Hanson, along with her brothers Dewey (Marge) and Lyle (Delores).

The Mass of Christian Burial for Leone Leitheiser will be held at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 1043 Lake Ave, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501, on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 1 PM. Visitation will be one hour prior. There will be a Visitation on Monday, November 11, 2024 from 5 PM until 7 PM with a Prayer Service at 6 PM. Burial will be in Holy Rosary Catholic Cemetery, Detroit Lakes.

***This funeral Mass will also be livestreamed: the below link will go live 30 minutes prior to the Mass starting. 

https://www.youtube.com/@holyrosarycatholicchurchde380/streams