Leona Marie Weertz

Weeding Her Way to a Wonderful Life Leona (Duyck) Weertz demonstrated how much she loved children by having nine of them. The smaller the child, the more excited she was about him. In her last years, she most enjoyed the company of her great-granddaughter, Audrey. Her own kids sometimes joked that she didn't relish them so much once they grew up. She fell for her sweetheart, Tom, when she was just 16, and married him at 22. Over 62 years of marriage, she expanded her ambition and career in ways many women didn't in the 60's and 70's. At 88, she is survived by her sister, Pauline Weertz, and her children, Laurie (Jim) Manhardt; Thomas (Donna Sharfinski); Paul; John (Susan); Mary (Wade Bent); Peter (Sara); Margaret (Tasso Teftsis); Anne (Victor Judnic); Andrew; 16 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren. Leona wanted an exciting and aesthetically pleasing life. She and Tom took a swampy acre of land in Warren and built their home with the help of brothers and in-laws. She worked hard to beautify her house. She wanted pretty tablecloths, gold wallpaper, and manicured flower beds for her own enjoyment. Often, Tom and Leona worked all day in their yard, then sat in the evening overlooking their pool, completely satisfied with their work. Her ambition may have rooted early. Her parents were Belgian immigrants; her father a grave digger and her mother a flower farmer. When she got the opportunity to go to nursing school through a government program to recruit nurses for the service, she jumped on it. At St. Mary's nursing school, a whole new world opened up. She glimpsed the lives of young middle class women and strove to make a better life for herself. Leona went on to receive two degrees and ultimately became the Director of Nursing at South Macomb Hospital -- all while raising her kids. We have fond memories of her dressing up in her white uniform and white stockings, and applying red lipstick to work the midnight shift. She so loved her career at South Macomb -- a mile north of our house -- that she took calls at home. As a prank, we kids sometimes answered the phone, "South Macomb south." She most loved entertaining and having parties, right out of Mad Men in the 60's. She wore wigs, cat eye glasses, sequin tops, and served grasshoppers and éclairs. Her interests were wide and varied. She hosted a Friday bible group, a euchre club, a quilting circle. She read books and newspapers. She sewed dresses and baked wedding cakes for friends and neighbors. Most of all, Leona loved weeding. She once said, "I don't know if there will be enough weeds in heaven." In her last few weeks, she talked often of her beloved siblings, Pauline and Dick, and her parents. Her father was proud of her accomplishments in school and work, and in playing the violin for him. Leona talked of picking a great mate, a man "who did everything I wanted." She loved her life so much that she was sad to leave it. It held so much beauty till Tom died in 2011. Of the hundreds of people she loved and touched, her real confidant and co-conspirator was Tom. She wanted to rejoin him and their beautiful life.Visitation for Mrs. Weertz will be held on Friday, May 6th from 3:00-9:00 pm, with a 6:30 pm Rosary and Eulogy Service, at the D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road at Common (12 ½ Mile Road) in Warren. She will lie in state on Saturday from 10:00 am until time of the Funeral Mass at 10:30 am at St. Mary, Our Lady Queen of Families Catholic Church – St. Clement Campus in Center Line. Memorial donations are appreciated to The Capuchin's, 1820 Mt. Elliot St., Detroit, Michigan 48207. Please share memories of Leona at her memory book above.