Leona C. Groner Eppley (nee Gallagher), 93, of Elyria Township, passed away Tuesday morning, June 5, 2007 at New Life Hospice Center of St Joseph in Lorain,  following a lengthy illness. She was born August 1, 1913 in Etna, PA and moved to Lorain County with her family at age three. She graduated from Brookside High School in Sheffield Lake, Class of 1932.  Leona retired from Kmart in Elyria at age 83 and had previously worked for 16 years at National Pharmacy in Lorain. In the 1940′s, she taught knitting at Kresges in Elyria. Over the years, she has knitted for Warm Hands, Warm Heart program at EMH Regional Medical Center and for R.S.V.P. charities in Elyria. Leona was a member of the Red Cross and the Civil Defense, a life member of Am-Vets Auxiliary; a member of Zion United Methodist Church in Amherst Township and a charter member of Sandstone Senior Citizens group in Amherst. She was a member of Sunshine Quilters & Sewers group. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, knitting, flower gardening and was an avid bowler for years. She entered hand crafts in the Lorain County Fair since 1933. She was Queen of the Potato Festival in 1984 and 1993.  On her 90th birthday, she received an official birthday greeting from the White House, signed by President and Mrs. Bush.
She is survived by her husband of 26 years, Bruce Eppley; daughter, Sherry Chase of LaGrange; sons, Norman, Terry and Ralph Groner, all of Elyria; four stepsons, Tom, Mike, Wayne and Dennis Eppley, all of Elyria; twenty grandchildren; nine
great-grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren; a brother, Lawrence Gallagher of Sheffield; and a sister, Grace Bliss of Sheffield.
She was preceded in death by three brothers, Earl, Sy and Ralph Gallagher; a sister, Lillian Gallagher; and parents, Lawrence and Emma Gallagher (nee Kobert).
Funeral services will be at the Funeral Home Friday, June 8 at 11 A.M. Rev. Richard K. Kretchmar, pastor of Zion United Methodist Church, will officiate. Burial will be at North Murray Ridge Cemetery in Elyria. Friends may call at the Busch Funeral Home, 114 Second Street, Elyria from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M. Thursday and Friday 10 A.M. until service time at 11 A.M. Memorials may be forwarded to the American Heart Association, 1689 East 115th Street, Cleveland, OH 44106 or to Zion United Methodist Church, 43720 Telegraph Road, Elyria, OH 44035.

 

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