Leona Marie (Jacobs) Payne

Leona Payne, of the Big Bend area, died on Thursday, May 31, 2007 at the Rice Health Care Center in Willmar at the age of 80.  Funeral services will be conducted on Tuesday, June 5, 2007 at 1:30 PM at Big Bend Lutheran Church with Rev. Kristen Jacobson officiating.  Interment will be in the church cemetery.  Visitation will be Monday afternoon and evening with the family present from 5 - 7 PM at the Anderson Funeral Home in Montevideo.

Leona Marie (Jacobs) Payne was born on March 15, 1927 in West Bank Township of Swift County, MN to Lawrence and Eunice (Golden) Jacobs.  She was baptized on February 19, 1928 at St. Josephs Catholic Church in Montevideo and confirmed at Big Bend Lutheran Church on June 14, 1942.  She grew up in the Hagen/Big Bend area and graduated from Appleton High School.  On October 14, 1947 she was united in marriage to Clinton Payne at the Big Bend Lutheran Parsonage and would have celebrated their 60th anniversary this fall.  They farmed near DeGraff, MN until 1959 when they moved to their current farm near Big Bend.  She had only recently become a resident of the Rice Health Care Center in Willmar.  Leona was a long time active member of Big Bend Lutheran Church and was involved in WELCA, Altar Guild, Shepherding Group, was a Sunday School Teacher and Sunday School Superintendent.  She loved making goodie boxes for family and shut-ins, bread making, all kinds of baking and reading recipe books.  She enjoyed embroidery, flower and vegetable gardening and canning, especially dill pickles.  Her greatest love was spending time with her family and loved ones.

She is survived by her husband, Clinton; two children: Ronald (and Jackie) Payne of Willmar, MN and Cheryl (and Terry) Burmeister of Milan, MN; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a brother, Lawrence (and Venoie) Jacobs, Jr. of Milan, MN; two sisters: Dorothy (and Alvin) Nissen and LaBonna (and Russell) Payne, both of Benson, MN; as well as by a number of nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and one niece.