Age 83, of Friendship, formerly of Spencer, passed away peacefully at her home on Wednesday, November 21, 2018.
Her funeral service will be held at 7 PM on Monday, November 26, 2018, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Spencer. Pastor Rebekah Tarras will officiate. Family and friends are invited to gather at the church on Monday from 5:30 PM until the time of services. Her family will hold a private committal service in Saint John’s Cemetery in the Town of Brighton.
Leona was born October 2, 1935, the youngest of seven children, to William and Mayme (Hopfensperger) Stuhr of Stratford. She was a 1953 graduate of Stratford High School and was united in marriage to Herbert Wachholz on October 9, 1954. She joined Herbert on his family’s homestead north of Spencer where they worked together before selling the farm in 1970.
Leona was a longtime member of St. John’s Lutheran Church where she served for many years as a Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher and, together with her husband Herbert, as custodian. For nearly twenty years, she was employed as a greeting card distributor for American Greeting Card Company.
Leona loved to bake cookies and was best known for her banana oatmeal chocolate chip variety. Believing strongly that no cookie should ever contain a raisin, she substituted chocolate chips for the raisins called for in the original recipe and created her own “best seller.” She baked countless dozens of cookies of many kinds over the decades as treats for Vacation Bible School students, neighborhood children, sports teams, family, and friends. If there weren’t freshly baked cookies in the cupboard, there were always plenty of recently baked ones in the freezer that could be pulled out for guests at a moment’s notice.
Leona also greatly enjoyed flowers whether growing them herself in her outdoor beds or adoring them in a vase when shared with her by others. She took a flower arranging class in the 70s and from that time forward enjoyed creating and selling silk flower arrangements. She made her final arrangement in June 2018 when she created a simple arrangement to place on her husband’s headstone.
Leona is survived by children Richard (Debra) of Friendship and Lynette (Carol Bartig) of Shoreline, WA. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Erin (Ryan) Spaeth, Ryan (Jillian) and Katie Wachholz, plus two great-grandchildren, Amelia and Lillie Spaeth. Leona was preceded in death by her husband Herbert, her parents, and her six siblings.
Leona’s family would like to give special thanks to all of her caregivers from North Star Services in Friendship. This group of wonderful women lovingly offered Leona their support as she became less independent over the past year or so. When Leona fell ill in September, they personally committed to making sure she could live out her remaining days at home. They increased their work hours and juggled their personal lives so that one of them could remain at her bedside 24 hours a day until the time of her passing.
Her arrangements are under the care of Life Tributes Funeral Home-Spencer. Visit www.lifetributesfuneralhome.com to share thoughts and condolences.
