Leona Griffith

Leona Griffith, a Centenarian and long-time resident of Louisiana, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 18, 2011, at Maple Grove Lodge Nursing Home in Louisiana, Missouri. She was born July 3, 1910, in a modest, log home in rural Silex to Luther Cloyd Reese and Lydia Jane (Young). Leona was the sixth of eleven children. The children worked hard with their parents tending to the farm and younger children. A musical family, all were very close and shared fond memories of dancing, singing and playing a variety of string instruments. She married Joseph Price Griffith Jr. in 1928 in Quincy, IL. They first made their home in rural Louisiana and had two children, Fern Imogene Naxera and Myron Price Griffith and later moved into Louisiana. Ms. Griffith worked her entire life. She first worked at a shoe factory in Hannibal. Later she was employed at several landmark Louisiana businesses including: Wells Lamont Glove factory as a lead seamstress, clerk at O’Donnell’s Drug store, manager at Maxfield's dress shop and retired as manager of Strother’s Jewelry store. She had many hobbies including; sewing, hunting mushrooms and pecans and visiting with her seven sisters and three brothers. She was very proud of her family and was blessed with good health most of her life and could play her guitar and dance a jig well into her 90’s. She was preceded in death by her two children and siblings Lillian Gertrude (Sanderson), Eli Franklin Reese, Cecil Vincent Reese, Ermal Marie (Henry), Melvin Jewell Reese, Clemma Claudine (Powell, Morton), Mary Elizabeth (Peters), and Marjorie Ellen (Roberts). She is survived by sisters Waunita Wilson and husband Lawrence (Henderson) and Lela Fern (Hendricks), both of Aberdeen, WA; grandchildren Carolyn Patrice “Pat” Vallar and husband Mike of Louisiana, Sally Naxera Benson and husband Gary of Naperville, IL, Lisa Marie Kent and husband Keith of Hannibal, Nancy Naxera of Louisville, KY, Joseph Griffith of Hannibal, and Fred Naxera IV of Louisiana; twelve great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held from 2:00 P.M. until time of services at 3:00 P.M. Friday, May 20, 2011 at the Collier Funeral Home in Louisiana. Interment will follow at the Riverview Cemetery in Louisiana. Donations can be made to Maple Grove Lodge Nursing Home or the First Christian Church of Louisiana in care of Collier Funeral Homes, Inc., 117 Barnard Drive, Louisiana, Missouri 63353. On-line condolences may be sent at collierfuneral.com. The family would like to thank the staff at Maple Grove for their loving care.

Leona Griffith

July 3, 1920 - May 18, 2011