Leona Ferne Hladik

Leona “Ferne” Hladik of Joppa, Maryland died on November 15, 2019. She was 92 years old. Born on Maryland’s rural eastern shore, near Rock Hall, she was the daughter of a waterman. She took her first steps on a pungy (boat) “the Wave”. She moved to the Baltimore suburbs during the WW II era when she was a teenager. She attended Kenwood High and was on their softball and basketball teams. She continued playing those sports during her work at the Glenn L. Martin Company. As a Martin’s “Bomberette”, she was the softball catcher when their team won the Industrial League Championship in 1947. She married Howard Hladik on April 5, 1947. They lived in Baltimore City until they built their home in a Harford County farming community “Wilna” (now part of Joppa), in 1959. There, they raised two daughters. She was a longtime member of the Mountain Christian Church and their Chancel Choir. She worked from 1968-1994 at the Harford County Public Library and particularly loved working for their art/publicity department. At home, she enjoyed country life, as well as music, photography, calligraphy and visiting with friends. From 1998-2006 she was a caregiver for her husband, Howard, who had suffered a stroke. Only in her later years did she develop progressive dementia, yet she continued to enjoy music, play the harmonica and laugh with her family and caregivers, especially Ruth. She was blessed with many years of excellent health, good looks, firm faith, natural abilities and wonderful friends and family.

She was predeceased by her father Henry Merle Clay Taylor, mother Macie Melvina Elburn, sister Janet Farrell Edwards and her husband Howard Hladik. She is survived by her two daughters, Karen Hladik of Joppa, Maryland and Sharon Rogers of Douglasville, Georgia as well as Sharon’s step-daughter, Kathy Rogers.

She will be remembered fondly by all who knew her.

Viewing will be on Wednesday, Nov. 20th from 10 am to 2 pm at the Schimunek Funeral Home of Bel Air, Inc., 610 West MacPhail Road (at RTE 24), Bel Air, MD 21014. Immediately following with be a short religious service at the funeral home with burial to follow at the Mountain Christian Church Cemetery, 1824 Mountain Road, Joppa, MD 21085. Flowers are welcome or donations can be made in her memory to the Harford County Public Library Foundation, 1221-A Brass Mill Road, Belcamp, MD 21017.