Leona Bell, 94, passed away Thursday, May 12, 2022, at the Hays
Medical Center, Hays, Kansas. She was born December 24, 1927, in rural
Graham County to Wallace Frederick and Lena Alice (Kaufman) Kerbaugh.
She attended the Miller District 52 Country School until the summer of
1936. Then the family moved to Loveland, Colorado, hoping that her
father could find work. The summer of 1937 their family returned to
Graham County where Leona again attended the Miller School. In 1939 they
moved to Hill City and in 1942 they returned to Morland where Leona
finished school. She graduated from Morland High School in 1946.
On October 10, 1948, Leona was united in marriage to Lawrence Bell.
Following her high school graduation Leona had worked in a post office,
as a waitress, cook and grocery store clerk, before she became a
full-time partner and farm wife. Three children were born to this union:
Larry Wayne, Carol Jane and Janet Kay. They raised their family on a
farm north of Morland.
Leona drove the tractor, hauled grain to the elevator, tended to the
cattle, was the chief cook and parts runner, and did everything else
that was needed. And she still found time to raise a huge garden! She
always said if you had meat and potatoes, you didn’t need much else to
feed a family.
Loving to cook, she hosted many family holiday dinners. You never
left her house hungry. She was her children and grandchildren’s biggest
fan, no matter what sport they were participating in. She was an avid
Chiefs, Royals and KU Jayhawks fan. Leona watched her beloved Jayhawks
win the national championship game and then quit watching TV because all
they ever did was advertise.
After Lawrence passed away January 2, 1989, Leona continued to run
the farm. She had no desire to leave that farm to seek a city job. She
stated many times, there was no better place to die than in her garden
under her tomato plants. She almost got her wish, as she was still
living alone on the farm until she went into the hospital on Mother’s
Day, May 8, 2022.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence, her parents, her
two brothers, Wayne and Rex Kerbaugh, and two sisters, Bernita Bell and
Jean Nickelson.
Surviving is her son, Larry Wayne Bell, Morland; daughters Carol
Jane Bedore, Hill City and Janet Kay and Ace Billips, Hill City; a
sister-in-law, Delores Kerbaugh, Hill City; nine grandchildren: Lynette
and Mike King, Lance Bedore (Julie Brown), Layne and Katie Bedore, Bruce
and Roseanne Billips, Brett and Michelle Billips, Roger Billips
(Chelsie Wolf), Dr. Jordan Bell, Kayla and Tyler Waggoner, and Chase
Bell; 21 great grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.
Although we are sad she left us, she had told us several times, and
again on Mother’s Day, “I am tired and just want to go to sleep and not
wake up. After all, I am almost one hundred years old, and no one lives
forever.” But she will forever live in our hearts.
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