Leona Howe Pennington, 70, died Jan. 7, 2013, in her daughter’s home in Bayview, Texas.
A celebration of her life is 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13, at the Brazos Trails Cowboy Church, 300 Sharla Smelly Road, in Weatherford.
As an Alzheimer’s patient, she was given the best care possible through home care, first by her son, Russell (Butch) and his wife, Regina, and their daughter, Nikki, and next by her daughter, Karen, and Karen’s daughter, Kayla, who also helped take care of her. Finally, she was taken care of by her loving husband who tended to her 24/7 in the final months of her life. Leona was also under hospice care for her final 13 months.
Leona was born May 17, 1942, to the late Arthur and Elma Howe in Norfolk, Va. Leona’s childhood wish was to marry a Christian husband and be a wife and mother. She was able to fulfill that wish when she married Ennis Russell Pennington Jr. on Sept. 27, 1958. She was soon blessed with a daughter, Susan Nadine, 10 months later. Leona and Russell were later blessed with two more children, Russell Ennis (Butch) and Karen Marie.
When her family was almost grown, Leona and Russell, entered foster care and had over 28 foster children in their home over the next 10 years. Both said it was a very rewarding time in their marriage. They adopted three of the children, Brandy, Michael and Judy. Leona was always a “stay-at-home” wife, fulfilling her youthful dream, and had the time to make her home very enjoyable and devoted to the needs of her husband and children in her home.
When Leona and Russell were married, they invited Jesus Christ to be part of their family. God richly blessed their marriage and life together with 54 years of happiness. When Leona passed on, her family knew they would see her again in Heaven.
Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Russell; daughter, Susan Garmon and husband Randy; son, Russell (Butch) and wife Regina; daughters, Karen James and husband Michael, Judy Fraustro and husband Tim, and daughter Brandy Bodiford and husband Michael; son Michael and wife Angela; brother, Allen Howe and wife Linda; and brother Gary Howe; grandchildren, Lilly, Lindy, Ashley, Quin, Ben, Nikki, Zech, Ezra, Leb, Kayla, Jonathan, Brianna, Chase, Dylan, Addison, Michael Aaron, Peter, Abigail, Jonathan, Caleb, Colton, and McKenzie; and great-grandchildren, Asha, Ava, Eyvan, Elizabeth, Jessica and Emma.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to your local Alzheimer’s association. Flowers can be delivered at 428 Huggins Drive, Springtown, TX 76082.
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