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Leona Smith

Jan 20, 1923 - Feb 28, 2019
Leona Virginia Smith passed on to that great beyond, a place where there is no more pain, sorrow or tears on February 28, 2019. Virginia, as she was known to all her relatives and friends was born on January 20, 1923 in Salida, Colorado to Lloyd Benson Sage and Esther Elizabeth Johnson Sage. She is survived by her son Dean, wife Gina, three granddaughters, six great-grand children and several nieces and nephews.

She spent her early years on a farm near Salida, Colorado where she enjoyed taking care of small animals. The first eight years of her education was in a one-room school house. Her family moved to Idaho in 1940 where she graduated from Franklin High School in Boise, Idaho in 1941. She graduated from a Western Union school and was assigned duty in Fort Lewis, Washington. Following WWII she moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming where she met Philip D. Smith. They were married on July 31, 1946. During the first years of their marriage they lived in several places in Colorado and Kansas. In the late 1950's they moved to Wyoming where they spent several years in the Pavillion, Riverton and Thermopolis area. In August of 1967 their son, Dean joined their family.

Virginia worked for Montgomery Ward in Thermopolis and Riverton for several years. She enjoyed this work very much. She and Phil and Dean moved to Thermopolis in 1975 where she assisted Phil, who was a handy man, painted many houses in the Thermopolis area as well as many other jobs. She also worked as a secretary for State Farm Insurance and was a Senior Companion at the Wyoming Pioneer Home for several residents. She would read to them, write letters and just visit. She became a Foster Grandmother at the Lucerne Junior High for those in the fifth and sixth grades and then for those in Kindergarten for several years. She enjoyed working with all the students and retired at the age of 87.

Due to declining health she moved into the Wyoming Pioneer Home 2007 where she enjoyed healthy living and fun and games with the other residents. The last two years she had lived at Thermopolis Wellness and Rehab where the employees took amazing care of both Virginia and Geno.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Philip D. Smith, her husband of 52 years, her sister, Miriam Crymble, and brother, Robert Sage and her longtime companion, Eugene(Geno) Edkins.

A graveside memorial service will be held on July 12, 2019 in Thermopolis at the Monument Hill Cemetery and a picnic will follow. Times will be announced at a later date.