Leona Klinkner, 90, Artesian, died Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016, at Prairie View Healthcare Community in Woonsocket.
Funeral services were 11 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 26, at St. Charles Catholic Church in Artesian. Burial was in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Artesian. Visitation was from 5-7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 25, with a scripture service at 7 p.m. at the Bittner Funeral Chapel in Mitchell.
Leona Fern Klinkner was born May 25, 1926, at her grandparent’s farm in Charles Mix County, to Joseph and Tillie (Merkwan) Trantina. She graduated from Scotland High School in 1944 and then attended Southern Normal College in Springfield for teaching.
On May 14, 1945, she married George Harold Klinkner in Scotland. They moved to Oakland, Calif., where George was stationed in the Navy. Leona worked at Montgomery Wards while in California. Following George’s discharge from the Navy, they moved to Artesian and began farming. She began her 37 years of teaching at Kneen Country School, Argonne, Plano, Bradley Young and Longfellow schools. She attended Northern State and Black Hills State Colleges, DSU in Madison, and earned her B.S. degree from USD and master’s degree from SDSU in Brookings. After retirement, she did substitute teaching for 20 years.
Larson was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church, where she taught religion, and was a member of the Altar Society, Catholic Daughters, the 8 & 40, a lifelong member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Delta Kappa Gamma, NEA, MEA, Retired Teachers Association, Sanborn County Extension and SDEA.
She is survived by one son, Donald (Karen) Klinkner of Artesian; two daughters: Cheryl (Jerry) Toering of Chamberlain and Joanne (David) Munsell of Minooka, Ill.; 13 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George; daughter, Teresa Weisz; grandchild, Justin Munsell; and brother, James.