Virginia Leonardo

Funeral Service for Virginia Rae Leonardo, 88 of Ekalaka, MT will be at 1:00 p. m. Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at First Baptist Church in Ekalaka with Pastor Steve DeFord officiating with special music by Flo Crago and Linda Wyrick. Interment will follow in the Beaver Lodge Cemetery at Ekalaka with Lance Barrere, Bill Barrere, Mike Steers, Travis Bailey, Brad Anderson and Butch Anderson as pallbearers. Visitation will be 5:00 p. m. until 7:00 p. m. Tuesday, December 5, 2006 at First Baptist Church in Ekalaka and will continue on Wednesday, at the church from 10:00 a. m. until the time of service. Arrangements are under the direction of the Stevenson Funeral Home of Ekalaka, Montana. Virginia Rae Leonardo was born on October 21, 1918 to Earl and Ollie Gladys (Shultz) Barrere in Fairfield, Iowa. At the age of one, Virginia moved with her family to Carter County settling in the Beaver Flats area where she grew up. Virginia attended the Schofield Country School, and later attended the Carter County District High School in Ekalaka. Virginia loved the outdoors and while on a cattle drive from Ekalaka to Grants Pass, OR, she met and later married the love of her life, Joaquin Jack Leonardo. Virginia and Jack were married on July 9, 1938 in Grants Pass, OR. After their marriage, they moved to Snellings, CA. where they made their home and raised their family. In 1971, Virginia moved back to Ekalaka where she lived until she entered Holy Rosary HealthCare in March of this year. Virginia loved the outdoors; the wildlife and the scenery. Many times Virginia and her brother Spike would travel by horse and buggy through the countryside to see Gods many creations. Virginia could be seen everyday at 5:00 a. m. at Lou?s with the rest of her coffee friends. Virginia?s many talents included being a self-taught artist; she loved to draw; leatherworks; ceramics; writing poems and playing Aggravation. She also shared her talents at Holy Rosary HealthCare where she did floral arrangements and helped with the newsletter. Virginia was a firm person with a heart of gold and had a smile that would light up a room. She did what she had to do, to keep her family together. Her love in life was for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Virginia passed away on Friday, December 1, 2006 at Holy Rosary HealthCare in Miles City, Montana. Virginia is survived by her three sons, Jack Leonardo, Livingston, CA, Tony (Annie) Leonardo, Merced, CA and Richard (Carolyn) Leonardo, Chowchilla, CA; four daughters, Jackie (Joe) Wiederholt, Reno, NV, Dee Anderson, St. Cloud, MN, Olivia (Al) Heisler, Livingston, CA and Vangie (Mike) Steers, Woodlake, CA; two brothers, Spike (Violet) Barrere, Miles City, MT and Brice (Sharon) Barrere, Ekalaka, MT; 21 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, Ray Arnold, Earl and Ollie Barrere, Her husband, Jack, her son, Joe Leonardo, her two daughters, Lola Leonardo and Earlene Leonardo and her sister, Lola Barrere.


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Burial Date: December 6, 2006
Funeral Home Ekalaka, MT

Funeral: Wednesday, First Baptist Church, Ekalaka, MT