IN MEMORIAM
EXPANDED EULOGIES
Leona Kleiber
Funeral service for Leona Dorothy (Bentz) Kleiber, 97, Tampa, who entered her eternal home May 31, 2023, at St. Luke’s Living Center in Marion, will be 2 p.m. Thursday, June 8, 2023, at St. John Lutheran Church, Tampa.
Leona’s family will gather with friends 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at Yazel-Megli Funeral Home, Marion, where a prayer service will be conducted at 7:30 p.m.
She will be laid to rest in Lewis Cemetery, Ramona.
Leona was born Oct. 1, 1925, to Adolph and Anna (Ottensmeier) Bentz on their farm near Tampa.
She was baptized at North Tampa Lutheran Church and later confirmed there.
Leona attended parochial school in Tampa until eighth grade and attended Tampa Rural High School until her graduation.
She was joined in marriage to John E. Kleiber on June 9, 1946, at St. John Lutheran Church in Tampa. They were married for 49 years.
She taught for two years in a one-room county school and for two years at Ramona Grade School.
Leona worked for Farmers Alliance Mutual Insurance in McPherson while John was finishing college.
She was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Tampa and very active in the Ladies Aid.
Leona enjoyed activities at the senior center and being in the Red Hat Society.
Leona could light up a room with laughter and happiness. She had a wonderful laugh and often referred to laughter as medicine or “internal jogging.”
She also will be remembered for her devotion to God and her family.
Family members and friends often called Leona with special prayer requests because they knew she would intercede on their behalf, believing God for the right answers.
Leona was an amazing cook and baker. She loved to bless others in their time of need with something from her kitchen.
Her family will remember her for her monster cookies and other goodies.
She learned to sew at a young age and made most of her own clothes. She also made prom and bridesmaids dresses for her daughters.
She was not afraid of hard work and at harvest time could be found not only bringing meals to the field but also driving big grain trucks to the elevator with a load. She and John were a team in everything they did.
Her loving family includes her children and their spouses: Cindy and Terry Vinduska of Marion, Lynn and Peggy Kleiber of Marion, and Becky and Dean Routh of Augusta.
Grandchildren and their spouses include Sara and Matt Frazier, Melissa and Daniel Stuchlik, Jill and Page Boudreau, Amanda and Tim Baxa, Andrea and Dale Klenda, Nicholas Kleiber, Aaron and Abby Routh, Melody and Chris Granzow, Allison and Daniel Rowland, and Danielle and Kameron.
Great-grandchildren include Tanner, Allie, Sophia, Antonia, Evelyn, Giovanna, Matthias, Elijah, Evan, Silas, Myla, Emmit, Zoey, Kaylie, Easton, Emma, Payton, Carson, Breckyn, Brantley, and Carolina.
Other survivors include her sister, Ellen Erickson of Tacoma, Washington; sister-in-law Phyllis Kenney of Lincoln, Nebraska; and several nieces and nephews.
Leona was preceded in death by her husband, John; her parents, her second daddy, Ernest May; sister Adeline Bernhardt; and brother Alvin Bentz.
Memorial contributions in her name may be directed to St. John Lutheran Church.
Please sign her online guestbook and leave a memory of Leona at www.yazelmeglifh.com.