Marquette––Leone Becker Brainerd, 97, a longtime resident of Marquette, died on December 27, 2006 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she and her husband, Charles, moved in 1970 to join some of their family.
Leone was born on March 28, 1909 to Mathias and Johanna Huntman Becker in Hartington, Nebraska. She graduated from Trinity High School in Hartington, and then earned her RN in 1931 from St. Mary’s School of Nursing at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota where she studied with the Doctors Mayo. Leone was employed by St. Mary’s Hospital in Marquette, where she worked on the surgical floor and also did private duty nursing while raising her family. Later she worked for Northern Michigan University Health Services. After relocating to Albuquerque, she volunteered her nursing services in hospitals and local nursing homes.
Leone is remembered for her devotion to her family and her loving care of others. She was always the one you wanted close to you when you were sick – her presence was comforting and assuring. She was a member of St. Peter Cathedral Parish in Marquette and Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Albuquerque. Her life-long devotion to the Catholic faith and the Rosary were her source of enduring peace.
Leone’s creativity revolved around her family and home. She turned every holiday and birthday into a special occasion – Christmas and Easter brought her special joy. A gracious host, Leone was known for her wonderful cooking, baking, and beautifully presented meals. She had her own distinct sense of style, and had great reverence for art and beauty. In her home she displayed her own paintings alongside her children’s photography and paintings. Leone lived very much in the present. Her beautifully written cards and letters expressed her remarkable vitality. She followed current events and sports closely – especially basketball, which she played in high school. An independent woman for her generation, Leone left rural Nebraska to study nursing at a time when few women had careers. Her strong work ethic and determination to achieve inspired her children – all of whom graduated from college and had careers of their own.
Leone is survived by her five children: Barbara Muniz of Albuquerque, NM; Charlotte and her husband James Mansfield of Spokane, WA; Mary and her husband Morton Alger of Albuquerque; Jean and her husband Raymond Anderson of San Jose, CA; and Charles (Larry) Brainerd III of Santa Fe, NM. “Nonny” also is survived by her nine grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and three sisters, Sylvia Gansle of Corpus Christi, TX; Marina Ahrens of San Francisco; and Genevieve Thoene of Millbrae, CA.
Burial will be in Marquette at the Park Cemetery, August 15, 2007, next to her late husband, Charles. Those who wish to honor Leone’s memory may make a donation to Catholic Charities.