Leona Buck

Leona Hazel Buck, 93, a resident of Knox County Nursing Home, formerly of Galesburg, died at 5:22 a.m. Sunday, May 26, 2013, in the nursing home. She was born Aug. 24, 1919, in Beverly, the daughter of Clarence and Nellie Allen Diehl. She married Glenn Buck on June 28, 1937, in Quincy. He died June 3, 2005. Leona is survived by a son, Stephen (Louisa) Buck, Galesburg; a daughter, Betty Turner, Rock Island; five grandchildren, Dana Turner, Galesburg, Shannon (Boyd) Bringolf, Athens, Patrick (Patty) Turner, Bettendorf, Iowa, Robert Buck, Galesburg, and Brandelyn Buck, Las Vegas, Nev.; a stepgrandson, Scott (Gayle Wald) Barash, Washington, D.C.; nine great-grandchildren; a stepgreat-grandson; and two great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Nellie Diehl; her husband, Glenn; four brothers, Floyd L. Diehl, Lillbern Diehl, Sylber Diehl and Lloyd Diehl; six sisters, Verna Diehl, Elva Richter, Patricia Garcia, Bonita Van Order, Pearlie Davis and Frances McCall; and a grandson, Meredith. She attended Oak Grove School, a one-room schoolhouse north of Beverly. Leona's formal education extended only to the eighth grade. There was no local high school and, "I would've had to board away from home, and my folks wouldn't have it," she explained once. Raised on the family farm, she moved to London Mills to care for her brother's children, where she met Glenn and they married shortly after. In 1946 she went to work at the Blue Bell factory in Abingdon. She worked briefly at The Pottery in Abingdon and then as bookkeeper for L&S Coal Company. She began her career at Galesburg State Research Hospital in 1952, retiring in 1982. She and Glenn and their children moved to Galesburg in 1959. During her tenure at Research, Leona was president of the Illinois State Employees Association, Chapter 204, for 10 years. Leona had a servant’s heart and always cared for those who had less. It was in that spirit that, in 1986, she campaigned and was elected to the Knox County Board, representing District 3. Over the course of her 10 years on the board, she served on the Jail and Sheriff Committee, Veterans Committee, Mary Davis Home Committee, and Nursing Home Committee. In her younger years she enjoyed knitting, and attending and having garage sales. She also enjoyed attending auctions with Glenn, where they would acquire many of the items sold at her regular garage sales. That hobby led to her operation of the Chicken Coop gift shop for several years at Knox County Nursing Home. Leona’s favorite holiday was Thanksgiving, when she was surrounded by her family, and could conduct the kitchen concert that fed them. Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Watson-Thomas Funeral Home, the Rev. Norman Mendell officiating. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the funeral home. Burial will be in Haynes Cemetery, Delong. Memorials may be made to the American Red Cross and the Knox County Humane Society.