Leona Brandt Loeppert, or more known as Grandma
20 April 1905 - 22 February 2010
The following is from the service celebrating the life of Leona Loeppert, David’s grandmother on his mother’s side of the family. Rev. Linda Deming spoke these words about this “they don’t make them like that anymore” woman on 13 April 2010 at Wood Dale Community Church, Wood Dale, IL.
The following is from the service celebrating the life of Leona Loeppert, David’s grandmother on his mother’s side of the family. Rev. Linda Deming spoke these words about this “they don’t make them like that anymore” woman on 13 April 2010 at Wood Dale Community Church, Wood Dale, IL.
Leona Brandt was born on April 20, 1905 outside Marathon, Wisconsin where her parents ran a dairy farm. She had two siblings: an older sister, Adela, and a younger brother, William.
To look at the older woman who came to church on Sundays impeccably dressed, or to remember her several decades ago coming to worship in white gloves and a hat, you would never imagine that Leona was a tom-boy as a young girl. She always preferred tending animals to household chores, or skiing over the top of the fences in the winter snow to sitting placidly in front of the fire.
To Leona-the-tom-boy fell the task every morning of hitching the team to the wagon and taking the fresh milk to the local cheese factory. Now keep in mind that to harness the team, this diminutive soul had to stand on a stool to reach their heads!
One day along her route, Leona encountered a neighbor who was not very neighborly. This gentleman ran her wagon and team right off the road. The wagon up-ended, the team got loose and immediately headed for home, and Leona was left by side the road. When her father saw the team return without her, he set out to see what had happened.
To look at the older woman who came to church on Sundays impeccably dressed, or to remember her several decades ago coming to worship in white gloves and a hat, you would never imagine that Leona was a tom-boy as a young girl. She always preferred tending animals to household chores, or skiing over the top of the fences in the winter snow to sitting placidly in front of the fire.
To Leona-the-tom-boy fell the task every morning of hitching the team to the wagon and taking the fresh milk to the local cheese factory. Now keep in mind that to harness the team, this diminutive soul had to stand on a stool to reach their heads!
One day along her route, Leona encountered a neighbor who was not very neighborly. This gentleman ran her wagon and team right off the road. The wagon up-ended, the team got loose and immediately headed for home, and Leona was left by side the road. When her father saw the team return without her, he set out to see what had happened.
The next morning, as usual, he told Leona to harness the team. When she showed some hesitancy to take the reins, he told her, “Now when you see that man again, I want you to keep your eye on the center of the road and stay there. You make him get off the road, this time.” And that is just what that little bit of a thing did!
Another day, she heard horrible noises coming from the barn. One of the horses was frantic and her sister was screaming. When she got there, she found that her sister, who was afraid of the horses, had harnessed one backwards. So Leona calmed the horses, got her stool, took off the offending harness and put it on correctly.
After Leona finished school, she was accepted into nursing school in Chicago. But her father didn’t want her to go. In those days, women didn’t do such things! Leona complied and regretted that decision the rest of her life. Later, she did move to Chicago and found a job cooking for a wealthy Jewish family in Winnetka.
Along the way, she met Karl Loeppert at a church function. The two were married on September 19, 1934 by Karl’s father, a pastor in the German Methodist Episcopal Church [see Home - The Begining].
Marriage to Karl brought Karl’s 6 year old daughter into Leona’s life. From that moment on, Leona was mother to Carolyn [David's mother] in every sense of the word. Carolyn recalls that Leona never referred to her or treated her as anything other than her daughter, something Carolyn came to appreciate more and more as time passed.
This new family of three lived in Chicago until 1939, when they moved “out west” to Wood Dale. On Oakwood Drive, they purchased a lot and built a home for the sum of $5,000. Around their new home, Karl and Leona were blessed with wonderful neighbors and friends: the Koehlers, Hernesses, and Rosners close by; and Donna Waltrip down the street a bit.
In those years, the families would often gather at one another’s homes on Saturday night to play cards. If the power went out, as it would frequently do, they would simply gather up the cards, snacks, and kids; and head across the grass to the church basement where the electricity would still be on.
Another day, she heard horrible noises coming from the barn. One of the horses was frantic and her sister was screaming. When she got there, she found that her sister, who was afraid of the horses, had harnessed one backwards. So Leona calmed the horses, got her stool, took off the offending harness and put it on correctly.
After Leona finished school, she was accepted into nursing school in Chicago. But her father didn’t want her to go. In those days, women didn’t do such things! Leona complied and regretted that decision the rest of her life. Later, she did move to Chicago and found a job cooking for a wealthy Jewish family in Winnetka.
Along the way, she met Karl Loeppert at a church function. The two were married on September 19, 1934 by Karl’s father, a pastor in the German Methodist Episcopal Church [see Home - The Begining].
Marriage to Karl brought Karl’s 6 year old daughter into Leona’s life. From that moment on, Leona was mother to Carolyn [David's mother] in every sense of the word. Carolyn recalls that Leona never referred to her or treated her as anything other than her daughter, something Carolyn came to appreciate more and more as time passed.
This new family of three lived in Chicago until 1939, when they moved “out west” to Wood Dale. On Oakwood Drive, they purchased a lot and built a home for the sum of $5,000. Around their new home, Karl and Leona were blessed with wonderful neighbors and friends: the Koehlers, Hernesses, and Rosners close by; and Donna Waltrip down the street a bit.
In those years, the families would often gather at one another’s homes on Saturday night to play cards. If the power went out, as it would frequently do, they would simply gather up the cards, snacks, and kids; and head across the grass to the church basement where the electricity would still be on.
A daughter, Elizabeth [better known as Betsy], was born to Karl and Leona early in their marriage. Betsy died at the age of 5 while hospitalized for an unrelated illness. As you might imagine, Leona was heart-broken. Child-bearing did not come easily for her.
A number of years later and after a time of prolonged bed rest for Leona, Jeanette was born. With that, Leona felt she had received a wonderful gift. It wasn’t long before Carolyn, 16 years older than Jeanette, was out of the house and on her own.
The house on Oakwood Drive was across an empty lot from the church. There were many Sundays after church when Jeanette would be placed on lookout in the dining room window so she could see who and how many persons her father might be bringing home to Sunday dinner. Leona needed to know how far she was going to have to stretch “the loaves and fishes” that day. There was always enough and Leona was ever the gracious hostess!
Karl had been plagued by heart problems for a number of years before his death in 1955. Leona found herself a widow with a young daughter at the age of 40. Many years later, Carolyn asked her mother why she had never married again. Leona answered that she could never have found another man like Karl. Leona lived as a widow for 55 years.
She had already been working full-time for some time when Karl died, something she continued to do then out of necessity. When she was 67, Leona retired from the Ben Franklin [a five-and-dime store] in Bensenville. It wasn’t long until she decided she didn’t care for housekeeping and the retired life-style. So Leona found herself another a job: this one at the drug store in Wood Dale.
When granddaughter Christine was a toddler, Jeanette began to work two days a week in the church office. On those days, Christine went to Grandma’s house and the two became great pals. It was Grandma who taught Christine to dunk her cookies in milk [something that drove Christine' father, Phil, crazy], and it was Grandma who would let Christine eat chocolate donuts at 11:00 in the morning [which drove Jeanette crazy]. What ever happened to the woman who, not so many years before, had kept Jeanette on the straight and narrow??? That woman had become a grandmother!
By 1987, when Leona was 82, the details of home ownership had lost their appeal. She had enough of grass cutting, snow shoveling, and window washing! She sold the house and moved to Friendship Village [a retirement community] in Schaumburg. Soon another side of Leona appeared. Without the pressure of constant chores to do, Leona had more time to socialize. Over time, everyone at the Village seemed to know who she was. She also volunteered around the Village and with the Awanaorganization [working with children].
For several years, she continued to attend church in Wood Dale, though it seemed to make less and less sense to drive so far to attend church. She also wanted to worship with her friends at the Village. So in 1992, Leona transferred her membership from Wood Dale Community Church to Our Redeemer’s United Methodist Church in Schaumburg.
Leona continued to work at the drug store after she moved to Friendship Village. Leona would take the Friendship Village bus to the Roselle train station where she caught the train to Wood Dale. Arriving in Wood Dale, she would then walk across Irving Park Road to the store. When she was 92, the owner of the store sold the business and retired. That meant Leona had to retire also. She often said that she could have worked longer.
She had already been working full-time for some time when Karl died, something she continued to do then out of necessity. When she was 67, Leona retired from the Ben Franklin [a five-and-dime store] in Bensenville. It wasn’t long until she decided she didn’t care for housekeeping and the retired life-style. So Leona found herself another a job: this one at the drug store in Wood Dale.
When granddaughter Christine was a toddler, Jeanette began to work two days a week in the church office. On those days, Christine went to Grandma’s house and the two became great pals. It was Grandma who taught Christine to dunk her cookies in milk [something that drove Christine' father, Phil, crazy], and it was Grandma who would let Christine eat chocolate donuts at 11:00 in the morning [which drove Jeanette crazy]. What ever happened to the woman who, not so many years before, had kept Jeanette on the straight and narrow??? That woman had become a grandmother!
By 1987, when Leona was 82, the details of home ownership had lost their appeal. She had enough of grass cutting, snow shoveling, and window washing! She sold the house and moved to Friendship Village [a retirement community] in Schaumburg. Soon another side of Leona appeared. Without the pressure of constant chores to do, Leona had more time to socialize. Over time, everyone at the Village seemed to know who she was. She also volunteered around the Village and with the Awanaorganization [working with children].
For several years, she continued to attend church in Wood Dale, though it seemed to make less and less sense to drive so far to attend church. She also wanted to worship with her friends at the Village. So in 1992, Leona transferred her membership from Wood Dale Community Church to Our Redeemer’s United Methodist Church in Schaumburg.
Leona continued to work at the drug store after she moved to Friendship Village. Leona would take the Friendship Village bus to the Roselle train station where she caught the train to Wood Dale. Arriving in Wood Dale, she would then walk across Irving Park Road to the store. When she was 92, the owner of the store sold the business and retired. That meant Leona had to retire also. She often said that she could have worked longer.
Leona’s love of travel began back when she still lived in Wisconsin. She and a friend travelled by train to Yellowstone. In later years, she went to the Holy Land and to Europe with [her daughter] Carolyn; to Greece with the Hernises; and to Hawaii and Colorado with Jeanette’s family. As in many other things, Leona had surprising stamina. On tours she would take every side trip she could, often leaving others resting at the hotel.
Leona was known to walk two miles every day around the Village, being dubbed “the Walker”. After she needed a walker to feel secure, Leona moved her walks indoors, but kept going. Whenever there would be fitness contests, Leona was the land-slide winner: not by doing just enough to win, but by simply doing what she always did. The bar graphs to plot progress always showed everyone else clustered on one side of the scale, while Leona was over at the other end of the chart.
Leona was known to walk two miles every day around the Village, being dubbed “the Walker”. After she needed a walker to feel secure, Leona moved her walks indoors, but kept going. Whenever there would be fitness contests, Leona was the land-slide winner: not by doing just enough to win, but by simply doing what she always did. The bar graphs to plot progress always showed everyone else clustered on one side of the scale, while Leona was over at the other end of the chart.
As the years advanced, Leona maintained her good health. The only medication she took was an aspirin and a vitamin pill each morning. And she was tough! Not being able to take pain killers, she endured cracked ribs without medication.
When asked how she had lived so long, Leona would often answer: “Hard work, no medicine, staying active.” That sounds like a good prescription for us all!
Leona knew death was inevitable and was at peace with that reality. She always said she never wanted an open casket because she didn’t want people looking at her when she couldn’t talk back!
Over the course of her 104 years, Leona saw countless changes in life as we know it. Untold inventions became commonplace. World changing events transpired. Appreciating all that change, Leona voiced the desire to come back in 10 or 15 years. She said she couldn’t possibly imagine what might be around then – there had already been so many changes.
Leona died in her apartment at Friendship Village on February 22, 2010. She would have been 105 years old in April.
When asked how she had lived so long, Leona would often answer: “Hard work, no medicine, staying active.” That sounds like a good prescription for us all!
Leona knew death was inevitable and was at peace with that reality. She always said she never wanted an open casket because she didn’t want people looking at her when she couldn’t talk back!
Over the course of her 104 years, Leona saw countless changes in life as we know it. Untold inventions became commonplace. World changing events transpired. Appreciating all that change, Leona voiced the desire to come back in 10 or 15 years. She said she couldn’t possibly imagine what might be around then – there had already been so many changes.
Leona died in her apartment at Friendship Village on February 22, 2010. She would have been 105 years old in April.
In addition to many friends, Leona is survived by her two daughters: Carolyn Gunnell and Jeanette Prather; 4 grandchildren: Terry, David, Richard and Christine; 3 great-grandchildren: Gwen, Tim and Keira; and 1 great-great grandchild: Corbinn.
This tiny woman with more spunk and determination than most other people think about, has left us all with quite a legacy. Those who come after have huge shoes to fill.
For her life, and for Leona, we can say, “Thanks be to God!”
Rev. Linda Deming
13 March 2010
deming_linda@att.net
Front row: Daughter Carolyn, Leona, [grand] sister-in-law Gymme, great-grandson Tim
Back row: Grandson David, great-granddaughter Guin, great-great-grandson Corbinn
Below: She rest under two trees next to her husband and daughter, Betsy
This tiny woman with more spunk and determination than most other people think about, has left us all with quite a legacy. Those who come after have huge shoes to fill.
For her life, and for Leona, we can say, “Thanks be to God!”
Rev. Linda Deming
13 March 2010
deming_linda@att.net
Front row: Daughter Carolyn, Leona, [grand] sister-in-law Gymme, great-grandson Tim
Back row: Grandson David, great-granddaughter Guin, great-great-grandson Corbinn
Below: She rest under two trees next to her husband and daughter, Betsy
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