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Woodward, Okla. — Leona Austin, 91 year old Woodward resident, died Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at her home south of Woodward. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, June 10, 2013 at the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Burial will be in the Elmwood Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Billings Funeral Home.
Leona Pearl Ortner was born in Nashville, Tennessee on November 22, 1921 to Sol and Nettie (Peters) Ortner. The family accompanied her father as he attended college in Clinton, MO and Broadview, IL. After his graduation the family lived over the years in Shattuck, OK; Keene, Laredo and San Antonio, TX; and Oklahoma City, OK.
She graduated from academy and took one year of college at Southwestern Junior College, Keene, TX. After an assortment of jobs, her most memorable were teaching one-room schools in Ponca City and Enid, OK, and working at the Kinder cookie shop (factory) in Oklahoma City. It was at the cookie shop that she met the love of her life, Kenneth Vaughn Austin, and they were married on May 5, 1946 at her parents' home in Oklahoma City.
During their first four years of marriage Leona gave music lessons while Ken taught school in Quinlan, OK. As their family grew and relocated through the years, she lovingly cared for her children. She sewed many of their clothes, baked bread, and practiced other economies to make Christian education possible for each of them. She faithfully practiced the piano every day, and enriched the lives of her family with her love of music.
Leona had many interests. She planted flower gardens everywhere she lived. Like her father, she kept track of family history and family connections. Though she would have denied it, she was highly organized in every aspect of her life; she even kept lists of the birds she saw each day at her kitchen window. In later years she assembled the scraps from her many sewing projects into quilts for each of her children and grandchildren.
As a life-long member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Leona served in the children's classes for many years and as church pianist/organist for over 35 years.
She is survived by two sons, Jerry W. Austin, of the home; Delmar E. Austin and wife Marcia of Bolingbrook, IL; three daughters, Linda Finster and husband Vic of rural Woodward County; Kenna Lee Carlson and husband Rich of Lincoln, NE; Connie Roque and husband Robert of Rio Vista, CA; two brothers, Lester (Betty) Ortner and Max (Delphine) Ortner; ten grandchildren, Kendall (Jessica) Austin, Delmar W. (Katherine) Austin, Joe (Andrea) Austin, Brian (Kendra) Carlson, Dan (Peggy) Carlson, Greg (Jessy) Carlson, Brad (Sara) Austin, Hannah (Jonathan) Goff, Liz Harris, and Laura Harris; 11 great-grandchildren, Benjamin, Evan, Anorra, Chandler, Cadence, Katie, Alicia, Grace, Jack, Nora, and Lexi; other relatives, and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and her daughter-in-law, Lois Austin.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Woodward Seventh-Day Adventist Church Building Fund with the funeral home accepting the contributions.
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