Leona Garner

Leona May Garner, 87, of Bellmead, passed away Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Services will be 10 a.m. Monday, March 10, 2014 at OakCrest Funeral Home with the Rev. Terry Wilkerson officiating. Burial will follow immediately at Chapel Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be 3-5 p.m. Sunday, March 9 at OakCrest.

Leona was born on May 10, 1926, to Jefferson Davis Simmons and Annie Maness Simmons in Gonzales, Texas. She attended school in Gonzales. She was married to William Donald Garner on May 1, 1948 in Gonzales. The family moved to Waco in 1968 when the textile mill that both her and Donald worked closed in McKinney and set up operations in Waco.

A few years later, the Waco mill closed down and instead of moving the family again, they chose to stay in Waco. Leona went to work at Texas Coffin Company as a seamstress, making many different styles of interiors and cap liners for coffins and caskets produced there.

When Texas Coffin Company closed down, and Leona was given another path to follow. She began a long career as a day care worker and eventually their cook at Oak Lawn Baptist Day Care in Bellmead. She retired after over twenty years of service there. She was a member of Oaklawn Baptist Church.

Leona was preceded in death by her husband, William D. Garner in 1988, and her granddaughter Jada Garner in 1999. She is also preceded in death by nine of her siblings.

She is survived by her four sons, Donny and wife Joyce of Waco, David of Waco, Jerry and wife Mallory of Plano, and Michael of Waco; her grandsons, Kevin and wife Rosa of Grand Prairie, and Scott and wife Melissa of Axtell; her great grandchildren, Araceli and Nathanael of Grand Prairie, and McKinnah and Sagen of Axtell; and one brother, Walter Simmons of Gonzales. Leona also leaves behind many nieces and nephews.

Leona will be carried to her final resting place on earth by her sons and grandsons.