Leona W. "Snookie" Lorenz

Leona Winona Lorenz, 96, a resident of the Lakeway Brookdale Assisted Living Center left this world to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Saturday, February 18, 2017. She was born on September 15, 1920 in Pasadena, Texas to Etta Gregg Johnson and John Franklin Johnson. It was her father who lovingly nicknamed her, “Snookie”, and to this day most of her family refers to her by that name.

Leona was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters, Mary Evelyn Bayless, Nina Bess Winfield and Anna Mae Johnson; and her brothers, Clyde Johnson, John Lincoln Johnson and infant Fred Everett Johnson. She was also predeceased by the love of her life, John I. Lorenz to whom she was married for 65 years. She is survived by one sister-in-law, eight nieces, three nephews and numerous great nieces and great nephews.

Leona graduated from Pasadena High School in 1938. She was trained as a switchboard operator, working for the College Station Telephone and the Houston Shipbuilding companies and later became an accounting clerk for Hughes Tool and Singer Sewing Machine. However, for much of her life she was a wife and homemaker and performed various forms of volunteer work, particularly through her church.

Leona’s faith was very important to her. Through the years she served as a Sunday school teacher and in other capacities in churches she attended. She is a member of Great Hills Baptist Church and was active in the Ladies Auxillary of Gideons International-Austin Camp. She and John gave away countless numbers of Bibles in the Austin area.

From a child, Leona enjoyed cooking and for years she and John hosted the Johnson Family Thanksgiving dinner at their house and organized numerous family reunions. When the couple moved to Lake Livingston, she became known as the “brisket-queen”, always ready to prepare the beef brisket for charitable events and for community gatherings.

For recreation, Leona and John took up square dancing for years. They enjoyed traveling around the United States in a travel trailer, and returned to some sites year after year and developed friendships in those areas. Leona loved playing dominoes. From a child until she was 96 she was always in search of a group to play “regular” dominoes or her favorite “42”. If one wanted to play but didn’t know how, Leona was anxious to teach.

Leona’s family would like to express their gratitude to the nurses and aides at Brookdale Assisted Living Center and Brookdale Hospice for their care in the final months of her life. The family would also like to thank the staff at the Conservatory Senior Living Center for their care and concern over the past 10 years.

Funeral services will take place at 3:30 p.m., Friday February 24, 2017 at the Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Chapel in Pflugerville with burial following at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Gideons International (website or by phone 1-866-382-4853) or to the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org)

Please visit Leona’s online memorial site at www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com where you can share memories and leave condolences for her family.

----------------------------

Please use the Capital Parks logo.