She was a wonderful mother, wife, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother. LEONA ROSE ELIZABETH BIEHUNKO 101, formerly of Moulton, Hallettsville and Victoria passed away peacefully at Sage Assisted Living in San Marcos, Texas July 4, 2024. She was born March 21, 1923, in Detroit, Michigan, to the late Vladimir (Walter) and Anna (Smisek) Malec. Eight children were born to the union. Preceding her in death were her husband Lt. Col. Lawrence Taylor Biehunko, three brothers, Vladimir (Walter Jr.), Richard and Joseph and four sisters, Anna Malec, Margaret Dibala, Lillian Pearson, Eleanor Rothbauer and her Brother in Law Lt. Ernestine “Buddy” Biehunko.
During her high school years and after graduating from Hallettsville High School Leona was employed at the Lavaca County Tribune. Her parents owned a Czech newspaper The “Novy Domov” and five English newspapers. Leona was an important asset to her parents as most of the men who were employed at the newspaper office were called to military duty during WWII.
On February 2, 1946, Leona married 1st Lieutenant L. T. (Taylor) Biehunko, a pilot in the Army Air Corp, later known as the United States Air Force.
Surviving her are: Her two sons who were everything to her, Terry Biehunko and wife Becca of Austin and Michael Biehunko and wife Angie of San Marcos and Victoria; grandchildren, Kelly (Biehunko) Dumas and husband Josh of St. Augustine, Florida, Elizabeth “Bitty” Biehunko of Austin, Sarah (Biehunko) McSween and husband Ben of San Antonio, Jack Taylor Biehunko and wife Rachel of Austin, Clayton Adam Biehunko and fiancé Angela of Pflugerville; great grandchildren, twins Taylor and Ben Dumas of St. Augustine, Paul McSween V of San Antonio and one more great-grandson will be born in September to Jack and Rachel Biehunko ; sister-in-law Dorothy Novak of Conroe; nieces Margaret Ann Pozzi, Barbara Koehne, Charlotte Pearson and Becky Obermayer, nephews, Buddy Novak, Larry Rothbauer, Richard Rothbauer and Charles Pearson.
Leona spent 20 of the 24 years in the service with her husband in the United States Air Force. She and her sons were never stationed overseas with Taylor who flew many missions all over the world and during Korea and World War II and after. During his years in the military, the family was stationed at Eglin AFB Florida, Randolph AFB Texas, Holloman AFB New Mexico, Columbus AFB Mississippi, Homestead AFB Florida, Pinecastle AFB Florida, McCoy AFB Florida, Maxwell AFB Alabama, Edwards AFB California, Aeroport De Paris Orly-Paris, France, and Barksdale AFB Louisiana. Taylor retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force as a B-52 Bomber pilot.
The Biehunko’s sold their home in Moulton and moved to Victoria for the next few years. They then made the move to Regency Villa Independent Living apartments in Schulenburg. After Taylor passed away in 2010 she decided to move to Orchard Park Assisted Living in Kyle then to Sage Retirement Home in San Marcos to be close to her two sons. Leaving her many friends in Schulenburg was and emotional time for her.
Leona lived a full and productive life always thinking of her sons, daughter-in-laws, grandchildren and great grandchildren before herself. They were her whole life.
She was a very giving person and loved to write letters showing proof of her beautiful handwriting and at 94 she taught herself to Text on her Jitterbug phone. She was an impeccable dresser always looking nice anytime she went out.
Her favorite pastime was spending time writing letters, gambling in Las Vegas, Lake Charles at the Labeaurge and Coushatta casinos with family and friends and definitely watching football, golf and basketball. Mrs. Biehunko or “Mrs.Lee” as she was called at Sage was crowned the first Queen of Sage Assisted Living in May 2022 by an overwhelming vote from the residents due to her kindness and compassion shown to everyone. She celebrated her 101st birthday March 21, 2024 at Sage Retirement Home with family and friends.
The family will receive friends at Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home from 9AM to 11AM Saturday, July 13, 2024 with services to follow at 11 AM Saturday at Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home Chapel with Monsignor Dennis Darilek and Deacon Kenneth Fishbeck officiating. Private Interment will follow at the Moulton City Cemetery on the Biehunko family plot.
Pallbearers will be Jack Taylor Biehunko, Clayton Adam Biehunko, Retired Lt. Commander Robert T. (Bob) Hoyer, Al Fojtik and Don Bunting. Thank you to all employees and caretakers at Sage Assisted Living. You all took such wonderful care of our mother and extended her life. Thank you to Jessica and Andrea with Enhabit Home Health for taking such good care of our mom and Kristen Polido N.P. with Curana Health as mom called her “my little doctor” for being there for mom anytime day or night when she needed her. Special thanks Virginia moms last caretaker you were so wonderful to mom and to Sandy, Karen, Rachel, Johnnie and Ashley with Heart to Heart Hospice for being there for mom and taking such wonderful care of her. A BIG Thank you to some special ladies all of mom’s longtime caretakers especially Becca who was with mom for 7 years and of course Porschee Life Enrichment Coordinator and Amy Sage’s Consignee moms go to person, all of these ladies with Sage Retirement Home definitely extended our mothers life. She loved you like they were her children. A special thank you to Dr. Jaclyn Smith moms great niece for being so generous and taking such good care of our mother and Roberta God’s “special angel” for bringing mom communion every week. To Jan Newton Odle, Thank you Jan for being so kind to mom always calling or texting her and sending pictures, scratch offs and flowers she dearly loved. Of course mom’s neighbor in Moulton for many years Doris Lala for always calling mom and keeping her up to date on what is going on in Moulton and to Al Fojtik for taking care of anything mom needed done in Moulton.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to Preferably The Moulton Fire Department then St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Shriners Hospital, Heart to Heart Hospice in San Marcos and Special Olympics.
Arrangements are under the direction of Thiele-Cooper Funeral Home in Yoakum and Rosewood Funeral Chapels Victoria.
