Gering Citizen Obituaries

Alphabetical List      List by Date Deceased


Leona Mowry
services directed by Dugan-Kramer
Leona Joy Mowry, 83, of Gering, died April 17, at Chimney Rock Villa. Funeral services were April 23, at Dugan-Kramer Funeral Chapel with Randy Kreiling officiating.
Burial was at Fairview Cemetery. A memorial has been established to Prairie Haven Hospice.
Leona was born Nov. 30, 1927 at Marsland, Neb. to Floyd Raymond Nation and Leona Fern Nation. She received her early education at rural schools in the Marsland area. Her parents moved to rural Minatare area where she attended high school and graduated with the class of 1945.
Leona was united in marriage to Kenneth Arlo Mowry on Nov. 27, 1945 in Harrison Neb. They moved to Igloo, S.D. where they were both employed by the Sioux Ordinance Depot: Kenneth as a guard and Leona at the bomb and diffusion department on base.
Within a couple years they moved back to Bayard and eventually to Minatare until 1974 when they were divorced.
In the early ‘90s Leona retired and moved to Gering. Leona and her sister Jean Hoagland were avid bowlers for the Flame Lounge of Melbeta and Hoagland Trucking of Gering for many years.
Leona and her sister, Jean loved to travel together taking Leona's kids on vacation while the kids were in grade school. One of her and Jeans most memorable vacations came after the kids were grown when they went to Graceland. This was her most memorable vacation, because she was a huge Elvis fan and somehow when she got home there was a rock in her possession from the courtyard of Graceland. She also loved visiting her sons in Palm Springs and believe it or not she even made it deep sea fishing in San Diego. Her most heartfelt vacation was visiting New York City and ground zero and the Statute of Liberty with her daughter and grandkids.
Leona had a variety of jobs after being a stay at home mom. She was employed as a waitress at Harry's Chef Cafe, bookkeeper for Hoagland Trucking, selling Avon, Eckhardt's Cleaners, Bernard's Cleaners where she retired.
Leona had several interests from packing the car with little league baseball players for away games, junior bowling on Saturday mornings, school activities especially sporting events and family gatherings. Her most satisfying interest was painting beautiful pictures of horses, cats, deer, dogs and other animals or just going through all the family albums of photographs.
She will be sadly missed by her family and extended family, as well as everyone who had the opportunity meet or work with her.
Her survivors are sons: Monte of rural Scottsbluff and Bill of Ft. Collins Colo.; daughter: Sheri of Gering; granddaughters: Lisa and husband Stacy Russel of Scottsbluff, Billie Rene and husband Javier Gardea of Colorado Springs Colo., Melissa and husband Tim Urbanek of Omaha, Monica and David Schnitz of Lusk Wyo.; grandson: Brandon Mowry of Oklahoma City, Okla.; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and great-grandchildren.
Leona was preceded in death by her parents: Floyd and Fern Nation; sister: Jean Hoagland; and infant daughter: Bonnie Marie Mowry.