Leone Henke

Leone Henke, age 88, of Harvard, passed away on October 3, 2011 at the Harvard Rest Haven.

A Memorial Service will be held 10:30 A.M., Saturday, October 8th at the United Church of Christ in Harvard. Pastor Dave Johnson will officiate. Inurnment will be in the Harvard Cemetery. Higby-McQuiston Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: LEONE HENKE

Leone Eudece Henke, the daughter of Clarence and Fern (Brewer) Chase, was born in Seward County, Nebraska on April 4, 1923 and passed away in Harvard, Nebraska on October 3, 2011, at the age of 88.

She grew up in Friend, Nebraska and attended country school. Leone graduated from Friend High School in 1940. She was a waitress at the Green Top Café and Reno Café in Friend for 15 years. Leone met Leon at the Reno Café after a basketball game between Western & Friend.

Leone was united in marriage to Leon Henke on August 19, 1942 at Marysville, Kansas. Leone lived with her parents while Leon was overseas serving in the Army. After their marriage Leone managed the Coin-op Laundry in Friend and worked at an insurance office besides selling Avon for 15 years. They lived in Friend 25 years before moving to Denver, Colorado in 1967. Leone worked in a plastics factory for three years and the Lutheran Medical Hospital in Denver for 10 years, while keeping up with her Avon and bowling. All of this was done after suffering two bouts of polio, one in 1945 and another one in 1954, during the same month nine years apart. After 31 years in Denver, they moved to Harvard in July 1998. Leone has resided in the Harvard Rest Haven since 2004.

Leone was a member of the Rebecca Lodge in Friend since 1964 and the American Legion Auxiliary in Friend since 1945.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her twin brother, Loren Chase, brothers, Delbert (twin of Herb), Leslie Chase and Cecil Chase; sisters, Carol Osborne and Retha Chase; brothers-in-law, Leo Wagner, Art Osborne and Gene Rule; sisters-in-law, Doris Ann Chase, Norvelle Chase and Nita Chase; son-in-law, Michael Olson; nephew, William Chase and niece, Sarah Hilliard.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband, Leon Henke of Harvard; son, Virgil (Judy) Henke of Townsend, Montana; daughter, Barbara Olson of Aurora; brothers, Wayne Chase of Friend, Herb (Jean) Chase of Thermopolis, Wyoming; sister-in-law, Jane Chase of Thermopolis; 5 grandchildren, Todd (Kelly) Olson of Hastings, Shane (Jeni) Olson of Aurora, Corey (Angela) Olson of Columbus, Leon (Rose) Henke of Townsend, Montana and Dawn (David) Atwood of Helena, MT; 13-great-grandchildren, Brandon (Danyel) Henke of Colorado Springs, CO, Stevn (Jasmine) Henke of Townsend, MT, Laytecia (Justin) Zindell of Tacoma, WA, Isaac Olson of Council Bluffs, IA, Gavin Olson of Hastings, Christian Olson of Aurora, Devon Olson of Hastings, Shaylyn Olson of Aurora, Ian Olson of Aurora, Jalynn & Joselyn Olson of Columbus, Dylan & Dyantha Atwood of Helena, MT; 3 great-great grandchildren, Jackaline Zindell and Caitlyn Cavara of Tacoma, WA and Autumn Rose Henke of Colorado Springs, CO and many nieces, nephews, family and friends.