Services for Leona L. Wittrock, age 96, of Sanborn who passed away on Thursday, December 9, 2021, at Prairie View Home in Sanborn. Her funeral service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, December 18, 2021, at the United Church of Primghar with Pastor Mike Cooper ~ officiating.
Burial will be at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Primghar.
Visitation with family present will be after 10:00 A.M. until the service on Saturday, December 18, 2021, at the church.
Arrangements are under the care of the Eldridge Family Funeral Home in Primghar.
Leona Lillian Mattice was born on the family farm in Cherokee County on January 15, 1925, daughter of Robert and Lillie (Johnson) Mattice, and attended country grade school. The family of 7 siblings moved to a farm one mile east of Paullina—the farm would be the future site of Paullina Lake and Mill Creek State Park. When the lake was constructed the family moved into Paullina, where Leona graduated with the Paullina Class of 1943.
She then attended Mankato Commercial College and later had a job with the Office of Price Administration during WWII in the O’Brien County Courthouse in Primghar. When the OPA closed, she joined her sister Nellie where they were both employed in Detroit, Michigan. Years later she worked at the O’Brien County Auditor’s Office becoming Deputy Auditor.
On November 7, 1948 she was married to Walter ‘Dick’ Wittrock and they raised a family of 5 sons on their farm one mile north of Primghar. She was an active member of the United Church of Primghar; singing in the choir, bell choir director and church secretary.
Leona had the rare ability to memorize poetry and enjoyed reciting it for small groups. Edgar Guest was among her favorite poets; and “Casey at the Bat” her favorite poem. She was also a skilled seamstress and enjoyed teaching her granddaughters how to sew. She designed and made many quilts for the church and others.
During their retirement years they enjoyed traveling to Florida, the West Coast and North Carolina. In the year 2000 they went to Europe and visited 8 countries, and made a side trip to Omaha Beach in France where Dick landed in WWII. In their later retirement years Dick and Leona lived at Prairie View in Sanborn.
She was preceded in death by her son Jay Leonard; daughter-in-law Mary Lou (Fred); parents; two brothers Dr. Lloyd (Ardeth) Mattice, Dr. Roger (Opal) Mattice; and four sisters, Gladys (Arthur) Chalstrom, Pearl (Harold) Virgil, Rosalie (Harold) Lewis, and infant triplets Margaret, Marjorie and Madge.
She is survived by husband Dick; sons Glen, Daniel (Ladonna), Fred and Rex (Becky); grandchildren Debra Wittrock, Laura (Matt) Ballew, Adam Wittrock and Faith Wittrock; great-grandchildren Harper, Graham and Murphy Ballew; and sister Nellie (Bill) Kammerer.