Leona M. Ferry Erb
October 31, 1920 — May 19, 2016
Leona Mae Erb was born on October 31, 1920 to Lafe and Myrtle (McMurphy) Fairchild on a farm east of Irwin, Iowa, in Audubon County. She attended country school east of Irwin and graduated from Manning High School with the Class of 1939. After graduation, she worked at Brown McDonald department store and Alfred Paulsen’s ladies’ dress shop in Manning.
On November 27, 1941, she was united in marriage to Victor Ferry and lived in Kirkman. They also lived and farmed near Exira, Harlan, and Irwin. They had two children: Linda and Tom. They belonged to the United Methodist Church in Irwin where Leona was a member of the church choir and the women’s group where she served in different offices.
After Vic’s death in October of 1971, Leona moved to Harlan where she worked in the Admitting Office at Myrtue Memorial Hospital for five years. On September 25, 1976, she married Allyn Erb.
She enjoyed working in her flower garden, doing sewing and embroidery work, and belonged to card clubs and the Pleasant Valley Club for many years. She moved to Harlan in April of 2005 after Allyn’s death in December of 2004. She moved to Elm Crest Assisted Living in December of 2014.
Leona died at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 having attained the age of ninety-five years, six months, and eighteen days. She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Vic and Allyn, step-sons Gary and Dennis Erb, step-daughter Gloria Huff, grandsons Christopher Ferry and Nathan Erb, and sisters Leola and her husband Jake Baker, Norene Pietanze, and Ramona and her husband Pete Petersen, sister-in-law Barb Fairchild, and brothers-in-law Don Andersen and George Weber..
She is survived by her children: Linda and her husband Dennis Wildner of Omaha, Nebraska and Tom Ferry and his wife Cheryl of Harlan, Iowa; step-children: Roger Erb and his wife Carol of Harlan, Sharon and her husband Dick Monson of Harlan, and Diana and her husband Bill Barton of Omaha; four grandchildren; fifteen step-grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; twenty-three step-great-grandchildren; sisters Irma Weber of Audubon, Iowa and Dixie Andersen of Harlan; brother Kelly Fairchild of Harlan; brother-in-law Pete Pietanze of Colorado; daughters-in-law Judy Erb of Omaha and Myrna (Erb) Gundel of Fontenelle, Iowa; son-in-law Dan Huff of California; other family members and friends.
On November 27, 1941, she was united in marriage to Victor Ferry and lived in Kirkman. They also lived and farmed near Exira, Harlan, and Irwin. They had two children: Linda and Tom. They belonged to the United Methodist Church in Irwin where Leona was a member of the church choir and the women’s group where she served in different offices.
After Vic’s death in October of 1971, Leona moved to Harlan where she worked in the Admitting Office at Myrtue Memorial Hospital for five years. On September 25, 1976, she married Allyn Erb.
She enjoyed working in her flower garden, doing sewing and embroidery work, and belonged to card clubs and the Pleasant Valley Club for many years. She moved to Harlan in April of 2005 after Allyn’s death in December of 2004. She moved to Elm Crest Assisted Living in December of 2014.
Leona died at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 having attained the age of ninety-five years, six months, and eighteen days. She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Vic and Allyn, step-sons Gary and Dennis Erb, step-daughter Gloria Huff, grandsons Christopher Ferry and Nathan Erb, and sisters Leola and her husband Jake Baker, Norene Pietanze, and Ramona and her husband Pete Petersen, sister-in-law Barb Fairchild, and brothers-in-law Don Andersen and George Weber..
She is survived by her children: Linda and her husband Dennis Wildner of Omaha, Nebraska and Tom Ferry and his wife Cheryl of Harlan, Iowa; step-children: Roger Erb and his wife Carol of Harlan, Sharon and her husband Dick Monson of Harlan, and Diana and her husband Bill Barton of Omaha; four grandchildren; fifteen step-grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; twenty-three step-great-grandchildren; sisters Irma Weber of Audubon, Iowa and Dixie Andersen of Harlan; brother Kelly Fairchild of Harlan; brother-in-law Pete Pietanze of Colorado; daughters-in-law Judy Erb of Omaha and Myrna (Erb) Gundel of Fontenelle, Iowa; son-in-law Dan Huff of California; other family members and friends.
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