MINNEAPOLIS, Kan. —Leona P. Berry, 94, of Minneapolis, died Nov. 22 at the Salina Regional Health Center. Leona was born May 9, 1916, near Beaver, to William and Grace (Chenoweth) Berry. She graduated from Hoisington High School, Hoisington, at the age of 16. Leona was too young to teach so she stayed home for one year. Then she taught county grade schools (first through eighth grades) in Russell County, starting at the age of 17 after a brief Normal Training at Fort Hays College. Leona attended and graduated from York College, York, Neb., again returning to teach in rural Russell County schools. She then went to Fort Hays University, getting a Master’s Degree in English, afterwards teaching in Atwood and Hoisington high schools and William Penn University, Oskaloosa, Iowa. Leona entered Denver University in Denver, Colo., for a degree in Library Science. She worked in libraries at Central College of Washington, Ellensburg, Wash.; Southwestern College, Winfield; Pittsburg State College, and Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Mich. Her last position was archivist at Eastern Michigan University. She retired to her parents’ home in Hoisington in 1982 and in 1999 she moved to the Oak View Apartments in Minneapolis, to be near her brother Emery’s family.

Leona was a member of the Hoisington United Methodist Church and while living in Minneapolis she attended the Community Bible Church.

Survivors include her brother Emery Berry and his wife Carleen of Minneapolis; brother-in-law John Vohs of Decatur, Ill.; nine nieces and nephews; and 10 grandnieces and grandnephews. Leona was preceded in death by her fiancé Claude Binder; her parents; her sister Rosella Vohs; and her brother Everette Berry.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Community Bible Church, Minneapolis. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. in Hoisington Cemetery, Hoisington. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Wilson Shields Funeral Home, Minneapolis. Memorials may be made to the Community Bible Church or the Minneapolis Public Library and may be left in care of the funeral home at www.wilsonshields.com.

Funeral arrangements provided by

Wilson Family Funeral Home

PO Box 166

Minneapolis, KS 67467

Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Nov. 24, 2010