Leona Hadden

Leona Hadden, 90, formerly of Churdan, Iowa, died Monday, February 27, 2017 at Northern Mahaska Specialty Care in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Leona was born November 12, 1926, on a farm west of Churdan, to John and Anna (Carey) Shoemaker. Being the second oldest in the family, she assumed the responsibility of caring for others early in life. Leona stayed with her grandparents, Joe and Mary Carey, a lot of the time since her grandmother was in poor health. After her grandmother died when Leona was 12 years old, she continued to stay with her grandfather a lot of the time to help him with cleaning and cooking. When Leona did spend a night at home, her mother would always ask her what she wanted for supper. Leona went to country school and graduated from Churdan High School in 1945. While in high school, Leona was on the girl’s basketball team, and she always commented that she was good. Leona worked at Johnson Drug Store and Minnehan Grocery in Churdan while growing up. When her mother passed away in 1947, Leona helped with raising her two younger siblings.

On June 2, 1947, Leona was united in marriage to Edward Hadden by her uncle, Reverend Leo Schumacher at St. Columbkille’s Catholic Church in Churdan. They were blessed with four children.  They lived in Des Moines while Ed went to Drake. Following Ed’s graduation, they returned to Churdan, where Ed served as the postmaster from 1950 until his death on August 11, 1987. Leona kept busy through the years raising their family and was always happy to share some of her baked goodies with the Hardy grandchildren when they were growing up near Lohrville. She also worked part time as a postal clerk at the Churdan Post Office for 24 years. Leona and Ed attended many national postal conventions throughout the states.

Leona enjoyed the many family camping trips the family took each summer throughout the United States. She was even a cook while they were camping, cooking many meals on the road in the makeshift kitchen that Ed designed. After retiring from the post office, Leona operated a second hand shop, Leona’s Boutique in Jefferson. She later found a way to share her cooking with others by making salads at the Redwood in Jefferson.  

After Ed’s death, Leona moved to Carroll. She helped her Aunt Bertha Schumacher while they were both living at Orchard View in Carroll. Leona would take Bertha out to eat, to the grocery store, or to appointments and when Leona baked you can be sure Bertha got some. She moved to Oskaloosa in 2014 after her daughter, Linda, passed away.  

Leona was a long time member of St. Columbkille’s Catholic Church in Churdan. She was also a lifelong member of Catholic Daughters of the Americas. She loved spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking, and got great joy from giving it to others. Leona loved to dance, play bridge, solitaire and go to garage sales and second hand stores.

Leona is survived by her sons: Neal (Marcia) Hadden of Oskaloosa and Larry Hadden of Washington, D.C.; 10 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren: Christina Stotts and her children Tyler and Tiffany of Clive, Joseph (Stacie) Hardy and their children Sidney, Madison, Payton and Joey of Sergeant Bluff, Michael (Christy) Hardy and their children Megan, Mariah, Matthew and Maximus of Lohrville, Kevin (Patricia) Hardy and their children Burke, Kennedy and Meeghan of Cincinnati, Ohio, Karen (Chad) Mussig and their children Madeline, Thomas, Samuel, Henry, Anna and Kate of Gladbrook, Iowa, Mary (Andrew) Tice and their children Olivia, William, Caroline, AJ and Josephine of Des Moines, Marc (Megan) of Amarillo, Texas, Andrew (Samantha) Hadden and their daughter Evelyn of Ankeny, Brian (Rachel) Hadden of Oskaloosa and Caitlin (Aaron) Kissinger of Pleasant Hill. She is also survived by two sisters, Marcella Nurse of Carroll and Teresa Fitzsimmons of Des Moines; a brother, Johnnie (Beth) Shoemaker of Churdan and numerous other family members.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years; an infant son, Joseph Charles; her daughter, Linda; her parents; two brother-in-laws, Maury Nurse and Gene Fitzsimmons; a brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Sarah Shoemaker; and a sister and brother-in-law, Arlene and Mel Lamaak and other family members.  

Mass of the Christian burial was held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 4, 2017 at St. Columbkille’s Catholic Church in Churdan with Father Jeff Schleisman officiating. Serving as casket bearers were her six grandsons. Her granddaughters were the gift bearers. Honorary casket bearers were Cecil Hoyle, Larry Adams, Jerry White, John Hardy, Dan Nurse and Chuck Lamaak. Burial was at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Cedar Township west of Churdan.    

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials may be made in Leona’s memory to St. Patrick’s Historical Society, the American Legion Flag Project or the Churdan Library Building Project.  

Brown Funeral Home, Churdan.