Leona M. Hoff

Hastings resident, Leona M. Hoff, 88, died Thursday, October 2, 2008 at College View Assisted Living, Hastings, NE. Memorial services will be Monday, October 6, 2008 at 11 AM at the First United Methodist Church, Hastings, NE with the Rev. Alan Davis officiating. Graveside service will precede the memorial service at 10 AM the Parkview Cemetery, Hastings, NE. There will be a PEO service by Chapter FH which will follow the memorial service at the church. Book signing will be Sunday, October 5, 2008 from 12 noon to 5 PM at the Brand-Wilson Funeral Home and Cremation and one hour prior to service time at the church. Condolences may be sent to the family from www.brandwilson.com. Leona was born in Pleasanton, Nebraska, January 13, 1920, to Peter Walbrecht and Laura Pinneo Walbrecht. She was the youngest of ten children. Leona attended Grand Island grade schools and graduated from Grand Island High School in 1938. She babysat as a teenager, cleaned neighbors houses weekly and then worked at the Ernst Bakery from her 10th grade through graduation at 20 cents per hour. In 1938 she worked at the Floret Floral Shop. She married Charles Henry Hoff September 22, 1939 at the Trinity Methodist Church in Grand Island. Five children were born of this marriage. They lived in Grand Island until 1955, and then moved the family to Hastings. During 1970-1980 she worked as a Para-professional at the Hastings Junior High School, and then as a secretary to the Hastings High School Visual Aid Department. For ten years Charlie and Leona traveled with their trailer to Texas and Florida for the winters, and then continued to winter in their home in Mesa, Arizona from 1989 until 2003. Leona was a 50+ year member of the Hastings First United Methodist Church, Eastern Star, Naamah Temple No. 108 Daughters of the Nile, was involved with the Mary Lanning Hospital Auxiliary, P.E.O. Chapter FH, and was an avid bridge player. Leona is survived by daughters, Margaret (Charles) Bacon of Lincoln, Linda (Tom) Fowler of Omaha, sons, Craig (Patsy) Hoff, Neal (Susan) Hoff, and Jerry (Kathy) Hoff, of Hastings. She is also survived by the following 13 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandsons: granddaughter Laurie (Tony) Hergott, great-grandchildren Greg, Joshua and Rebekah, great-grandson Chad (Shelly) Erickson and great-great grandsons Logan and Calvin Erickson; granddaughter Julie (John) Moody, great-granddaughters Sarah and Hannah; granddaughter Debra (Jay) Marusich, great-grandson Ryan; grandson Brad Fowler; granddaughter Ann (Tom) Waller, great-granddaughters Emily and Natasha; granddaughter Teresa (Mike) Ooten, great-grandchildren Emmy, Ethan, and Elijah; grandson Todd (Karen) Hoff; granddaughter Leah (Tom) Ratzlaff, great-grandson McKain; grandson Nick Hoff and fianc(c) Sarah Allen; granddaughter Laura Hoff; and grandsons Shannon, Justin, and Brandon Hoff, She is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Evelyn (Cecil) Hulme, of Grand Island, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Charles, four brothers and five sisters. Memorials may be sent to Hastings First United Methodist Church Transportation Fund.