Our precious mother, Leona Rose Boland, passed away quietly on January 21, 2023. She was 92.
Leona was born December 18, 1930 into a family of eleven children in the small town of Bloomfield, NE, the seventh daughter of Herman and Emma Rose. She grew up on a farm, picking corn and milking cows. She attended a one-room schoolhouse until the 5th grade and then boarded in town and attended the Lutheran school through the 8th grade. She was confirmed in the church on April 2, 1944, two sad days after her father’s funeral. She graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1948, and went on to earn her nursing degree from the St. Joseph School of Nursing in 1951. She married Ralph Boland, also of Bloomfield, and raised four children – Teri, Will, Cal, and Carol. Once the kids were out of the house, she began her career with the Helena Medical Clinic and worked there for seventeen years.
After retirement, she enjoyed volunteering for many organizations. First Lutheran Church in Helena was her church family for over sixty years. She loved to knit, crochet, quilt and sew. Our Barbie dolls and GI Joes were always the best dressed. She made prom dresses and winter hats and somehow found time to be the best homegrown cook in town. Cinnamon rolls were a specialty and she delighted in sharing them, fresh out of the oven. Candies at Christmas, eggs at Easter, and cookies just about any time. The fine smells wafting from her oven would draw the neighbor kids around like bees to honey. She liked to dig for antique bottles, go tent camping with the entire crew, pick huckleberries, walk the trails with the dog, and all that with a hot meal waiting for us children when we arrived bedraggled at the end of a busy day.
As the days drew long, she would be content to watch her beloved Montana landscapes go by in long Sunday rides with her eldest son, guide and faithful chauffeur. The simplest of pleasures for her were always the best; a mountain wildflower, or rain coming in on gray clouds.
She is survived by her children and their spouses/partners, her seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, two brothers, and many nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank her many friends at her church, East Park Villa apartments, the Bible study group, old neighbors and co-workers and her medical providers for the many years of love and care they provided.
A memorial will be scheduled for the spring, when the lilacs begin to bloom and her beloved meadowlarks begin to sing.
Service Schedule
Services are pending at this time or no services will be held. If available, please see obituary for more information.
Service Schedule
Services are pending at this time or no services will be held. If available, please see obituary for more information.
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Terry says
Leona brought joy to my life, and to many others as well. She will be sorely missed. I am sure that all of you have wonderful memories of a life well lived.
Mary Runkel says
Her delightful smile and warm work ethic were a part of the Helena Medical clinic group. She always was ready to lend a hand and share her recipes for her wonderful treats. I tried for years to make cookies like hers and I am still trying. Her bon bons were supreme. We shared coffee and memories when she lived at the apartments by the hospital.
My condolences to her children, you were the center of her life