Leone Thoene

Funeral services for Leone Thoene were held on Saturday, July 31, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Bonesteel, SD, with Father Jonathan Dillon officiating. Kendall and Vanessa Gemar were lectors and Ava and Emmie Hausmann were altar servers.

Music was provided by Mike Baldwin, soloist and Immaculate Conception Choir, accompanied by Roberta Witt, organist. Geri Wollman was in charge of registration and Kim Koenig and Donna Hausmann were flower attendants.

Casket bearers were Steve Koenig, Terry Hausmann, Jason Hausmann, Sonny Plugge, Doug Koenig and Dennis Wollman. Honorary casket bearers were all of Leone’s family and friends.

Interment was in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Bonesteel, SD. Clausen Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Leone Kathryn Thoene was born July 4, 1928 at Spencer, NE, to Gustav and Mary (Wedige) Perlenfein.

Leone graduated from Bonesteel High School in 1946. Three months after graduation, she began teaching in a country school near Gregory, SD. She also worked as a secretary at the Rural Electric Association (REA). On March 9, 1948 Leone married Logan Thoene. To this union three children were born: Cindy, Fred and Shelley.

Logan and Leone operated their farm/ranch for most of their married lives where they farmed, raised registered Polled Hereford Cattle, and ran a Grade A Dairy, milking 100 cows. They also turned a hobby of making porcelain dolls into a full-blown business. They were honored when they were chosen to create the “official centennial doll” for the State of South Dakota in 1989. Logan and Leone moved to Sioux Falls in 1992. They also enjoyed their Florida home where they spent six months of every year.

She worked very hard on the farm/ranch beside her husband, cooking meals for hired men, taking lunches to the field and doing the ranch accounting while raising their three children. She and Logan enjoyed making the porcelain dolls and taking them to shows, as well as selling them at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas and Trump’s Castle in Atlantic City. The beautiful flowers that adorned the Thoene yard were a source of pride.

Leone enjoyed traveling. She traveled extensively throughout Europe, China, Canada and Mexico, as well as the United States. She enjoyed spending weekends on their houseboat fishing at the river and was a very accomplished water skier. She was a member of the Whetstone Ski Club.

Leone was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Bonesteel where she served as chairman of the Altar Society and the Funeral Organization Committee. After moving to Sioux Falls she was a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church.

Leone was preceded in death by Logan, her husband of 68 years, her parents Gustav and Mary Perlenfein, in-laws Fred and Lillian Thoene, her sister Mary Lou West, son-in-law Tom Lillibridge, two brothers-in-law Lloyd West and Bill Wernke, niece Sharon Closter and nephew Jay Wernke.

She died July 23, 2021 at the Avera Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD, at the age of 93 years. Prior to her hospitalization Leone lived at the Inn on Westport Assisted Living in Sioux Falls, SD.

Leone is survived by her children Dr. Cindy Lillibridge of Bonesteel, SD, Fred Thoene of Sioux Falls, SD, and Shelley (Keith) Gemar of Gillette, WY and four grandchildren: Honey Thoene (Kyle Kroupa), Ryan (Vanessa) Gemar, Chris (Lauren) Gemar, and Logan (Sarah) Thoene along with four great-grandchildren; her sister-in-law Cathy Wernke of Gregory, SD, along with several nieces and nephews.