Leona R Cole

Born June 9, 1937 in Harlem, Montana, she was the daughter of Derewill G. and Emma (Nelson) Foote. She married John Leonard Cole, Jr. on September 7, 1962 in Pekin. He died April 6, 2017 in Pekin. She also was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Richard Foote.

Surviving are one daughter, Starletta Dawn (Paul) Taylor of Marysville, Washington; two sons, Jay Leonard (Claudia) Cole of Westminster, Colorado and James Andrew (Jennifer) Cole of Mackinaw; eleven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and one brother, William (Merrilee) Foote of Speerfish, South Dakota. She attended Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa.

Leona worked for Pekin Public Schools District 108 for 25 years as a secretary at Broadmoor, the District office and last with the special education department. She retired in 2000.

Leona was active in church activities throughout her life. She attended Pekin First Church of God and was a former member of First United Presbyterian Church in Pekin and Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, where she was a former choir member and Sunday school teacher. She loved to read and was known for baking and decorating cakes.

Her private funeral will be at Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. There will be no public visitation. Burial will be in Glendale Memorial Gardens in Pekin.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Films for Christ, P.O. Box 1167, Marysville, WA 98270 or to Miller Senior Citizens Center, 551 South 14th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com