Leona Bell Carpenter

Leona Bell Beggs was born at Tamarack, MN on December 18, 1925 to Oliver and Hilda (Paxson) Beggs. In 1928 she moved with her parents to Backus, MN where she attended school and graduated from high school in 1943. After graduation she worked in Minneapolis, MN and Seattle, WA for Boeing Aircraft until her marriage to Ernest “Cap” Carpenter on August 20, 1944. They lived in Florida and North Carolina while Cap was in the service. They moved to Danbury in 1946 where 6 children were born to them. Leona was very active in the community; she was a member of the Danbury United Methodist Church for over 60 years and the American Legion Post 96.

She worked as the Star Route mail carrier for 16 years and the Webster School District for 12 years as a cook. She was also Treasurer for the Town of Swiss for 6 years. She loved her family dearly and also her many friends.

Leona died on Tuesday, September 6, 2011, at her residence in Danbury, at the age of 85.

She is survived by her husband, Cap; son, Mike (Michelle) Carpenter of Princeton, ID; daughters, Nancy Strong of Barron, WI, Jeanne Payer and Patti Carpenter, both of Danbury, WI; 11 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; brother, Harold Beggs of Clarkston, WA; and sisters, Judy Orcutt of Brooklyn Park, MN, Shirley (Jerry) Cole of Richland, WA and Lorraine Coon of Backus, MN. She was preceded in death by daughters, Jo Carpenter and Jan Gangelhoff; and sisters, Carol Mousel and Lois Johnson.