Leona Desirree (Russell) Deuschle, age 101, of Sweetwater, Texas, passed away Tuesday morning April 6, 2021, in Nocona, Texas surrounded by her loving family. She was born March 5, 1920 in California, Pennsylvania to Eva and Frank Russell.
Leona is preceded in death by her husband, United States Air Force Colonel, Francis John Deuschle, Sr.
She is survived by their son Francis John Deuschle, Jr. (aka: Baby Jesus) and his wife Barbara of Hot Springs, Arkansas, ‘oldest daughter’ Margaret Butler and husband Bill of Sweetwater, Texas, and ‘favorite daughter’, Patty Knaus, and husband Rick, of Austin, Texas.
With 101 years, Leona was the matriarch of an exceptionally large and sprawling family spread throughout Texas and Arkansas. She was the doting grandmother of 11 grandchildren who relished time with their “Grandma, Nana, Granny” at an annual 4th of July lake celebration featuring fireworks, cookouts, and hundreds of stories about what was new in the lives of her grandchildren. Her grandchildren produced a remarkable 43 great grandchildren, and 15 great- great grandchildren. Despite the volume of children, grandchildren, their spouses, and more than four dozen great and great-great grandchildren, Leona never missed sending everyone a birthday card and making a phone call to each one.
Leona’s true and greatest love was being present at all the weddings, the births, graduations, baptisms and confirmations, driving thousands of miles back and forth across Texas and Arkansas for her grandchildren and great grandchildren. At one point in her life, it was nothing for her to travel from a military installation in Germany back to Texas to babysit a newly born grandson. Leona loved being the first to visit her grandkids new homes, help them get meticulously organized and then quickly spread all the details through the family grapevine. If you ever heard her say, “now don’t tell anyone, but…”, you could be certain the information she was about to share was already rapidly on its way through the family. She was well into her late 80’s when it was decided that it was time for her to hand over her keys to her beloved Honda Accord, “it’s the best car on the road”. Not because she couldn’t drive anymore, but because she was getting too many speeding tickets and had reached her limit of times to attend traffic school.
Leona was well known by all for her dedicated prayer life for her family. She kept the home fires burning, raising their three children and making certain every item in the house was pristinely ironed, while Colonel Deuschle served in the Korean War and Vietnam War. For many years she was a loyal volunteer at a children’s hospital neonatal intensive care holding and nurturing sick babies.
The family extends a deep and profound thank you for the love, mercy and grace given to her through her final year from her full-time caregivers; Josephine, Martha, Bertha, Sean and Shane (aka: her granddaughters, Jennifer and Shannon) and to the compassionate nurses and hospice workers in Hot Springs, AR, Sweetwater and Nocona who made the journey easier.
Visitation will be held Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 4-8PM at Katy Funeral Home (23350 Kingsland Blvd, Katy, TX 77494). A recitation of the Rosary will begin at 5pm that evening. A funeral mass at St. John Vianney Catholic Church (625 Nottingham Oaks Trail, Houston, TX 77079) will be held on Friday, April 23 at 10:30AM followed by burial, next to her beloved husband, at Memorial Oaks Cemetery (13001 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77079).
The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made honoring Leona’s favorite charity, Smile Train, PO Box 96231, Washington, DC 20090-6231, online @ www.donate.smiletrain.org or by phone 1-800-932-9541. She never missed a year giving to this non- profit organization, where she knew she was helping little kids, facing life with the challenges of cleft palates.
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