Leona H. Tjaden

Leona H. Tjaden, 85, of rural Marysville, KS, died October 16, 2015 at Cambridge Place in Marysville. Visitation was Monday, October 19 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Kinsley Mortuary in Marysville. The family received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. A Celebration of Life service was held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, October 20 north of Marysville at the Immanuel State Line Lutheran Church. Rev. Rob Garton officiated. Mary Lou Retchless was the organist. Music included “Jesus Still Lead On”, “On Eagles Wings”, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”, “On Christ the Solid Rock”, and "The Farewell Song”. The pallbearers were Mike Riggert, Galen Gerdes, Brian Tjaden, Ryan Tjaden, Kent Duensing, Rick Duensing, Ronnie Jurgens, and Ronnie Schmitz. Burial was in the church cemetery. Leona was born October 11, 1930 on a farm west of State Line Church to Henry and Hulda (Schotte) Duensing. She attended Bethlehem Lutheran School. She worked at Ben Franklin Store before marrying Vern Tjaden at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on October 5, 1952. Leona dedicated her life to her husband, children and grandchildren. She worked beside her husband for 63 years on the family farm. She loved gardening and working with flowers, square dancing, choir, baking, canning and spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren and baby sitting her granddog, April. Survivors include her husband, Vern; and her children, Marlys Roberts, Dennis (Jeanne) Tjaden, Marjean (Brad) Eichelberger, all of Marysville, and Lynette Payne, Lincoln, NE; 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren; brother, Melvin (Arlene) Duensing, Marysville; sister, Verneda (Gerald) Gerdes, Lincoln, NE; sister in-law, Marcine Duensing, Marysville, brother-in-law, Delmar (Janice) Tjaden, Marysville; and sister-in-law, Nelda Ewald, Florida. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister and brother-in-law, Lorna and Irwin Riggert; brother, Arlin Duensing; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Andrew and Tena Tjaden; and brother-in-law, Bill Ewald. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Leona H. Tjaden, please visit our flower store.