Leona C. Wilkie Smith, daughter of Allen and Cleo Warner Bates, was born March 26, 1928, at Oelwein, Iowa. She received here education in the country schools near Oelwein and Lima.
On October 30, 1946, she was married to Clarence Gager. They were lated divorced. Three children, Doris, John, and Diane were born to this union. On August 7, 1971, she was married to Lee Wilkie and later divorced. She was united in marriage with Carl Smith on November 14, 1998, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua.
Leona worked at Patrick’s Restaurant and Diane’s Restaurant in Hawkeye. At one time she also worked at restaurants in Oelwein and did housekeeping for some Oelwein residents.
Following a brief illness, her death occurred at the Bartels Lutheran Home in Waverly on Sunday, November 1, 2009. She was 81 years old and had been a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawkeye and the United Methodist Church in Frederika. She and her husband, Carl spent many winters in Florida. She enjoyed square dancing, gardening, and playing cards.
In addition to her husband, Carl of the Eichorn House in Waverly, she is survived by one son, John (Lucy) Gager, Sr. of Farmersburg; two daughters, Doris (David) Ohm of Penitas, Texas and Diane (Dan) Pischke of Hawkeye; ten grandchildren; many great grandchildren; one brother, Roy (Anna) Bates of Waterloo; one step son, Steve (Rev. Laura) Smith of Cedar Rapids; and five step daughters, Carol Smith of Waterloo, Sharon (Leon) Harms of Wellsburg, Karen Smith of Waterloo, Kathy (Bill) Kurth of Coralville and Joyce (Michael) Flynn of Cologne, New Jersey.
She was preceded in death by her parents; one grandson, Joshua Gager; three sisters, Laura Astor, Shirley Krum, and Betty Lou Bates; one brother, Charles Bates; and one half brother, Walter Bates.
