Leona Beehler

Leona Beehler, 85, Mandan, died October 3, 2022 at Sunset Drive Prospera, Mandan, with her loving family by her side.  

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Monday, October 10, 2022, at 1:30 PM at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mandan. Visitation will take place on Sunday, October 9, 2022, from 5:00-7:00 PM at Weigel Funeral Home with Rosary/Parish Vigil at 7:00 PM.

Leona was born May 1, 1937 in Mandan to George and Magdeline (Heinert) Schmidt.   Raised on a farm near Odense, south of Mandan and later near Baldwin, north of Bismarck, Leona quickly learned her hard work ethic.   Leona met her future husband Stephen (Steve) Beehler at a country dance and they were married on June 17, 1957 and continued to participate in their love of dancing for the next 56 years until Steve’s death in 2013.   Leona was a fantastic wife, mother and grandmother who loved to cook for anybody that showed up at their house.  Her famous home-made buns and pickles were a favorite for all.   One of her other passions was canning.  Leona had a love and talent for sewing and she was a seamstress who would make and repair clothes for numerous people with the number growing with her reputation for quality.   She also learned to sew drapes and used that passion to open a successful business (LB Drapery) that she operated for many years with her husband Steve always willing to help install the drapery rods and help fold the drapes in his off time from his job at Bill’s Super Valu.

Leona and Steve loved to fish and camp and enjoyed many weekends doing this with friends and family.  They liked to travel with several sightseeing bus trips and a cruise to Alaska.  They loved to play cards, with pinochle being the game of choice but dancing was always their passion and it was a joy to see them floating across the dance floor.   Leona was a life-time member of the Moose Club and always enjoyed going for dinner and a glass of wine there after 4:00 pm mass on Saturdays.   She was also a member of the Mandan Eagles Club.  Leona loved her family and couldn’t wait for her grandchildren to come and visit…of course making them a meal or home-made sweets each time.

Leona is survived by three sons, George Beehler, Mandan, Doug (Stevie) Beehler, Eagle, ID, and Dave (Ellen) Beehler, Eagan, MN; daughter Brenda (Jerry) Schaff, Mandan; grandchildren, Amanda (Donny) Fisher, Clayton (Megan) Schaff, Brent (Olivia Grave) Schaff, Kayla Beehler, Jace (Kate) Beehler, Matt (Kaylyn) Beehler, Quinn Beehler and Candace (Hayden) Dreyer; 5 great grandsons (Talon (Victoria), Hunter, Braxton, Henry and Finn), 2 great granddaughters (Charlie and Jordyn); sisters, Beatrice (Ron) Deuel, Indiana, Linda Strandemo, Bismarck, Kathy Kittleson, Montana, Bismarck, Nancy (Bruce) Schmidt, Bismarck and brothers Robert (Shirley) Schmidt, Texas and Eugene (Pam) Schmidt, Mandan, sister in law, Isabel Schmidt, Bismarck and brothers in law John Aman, Bismarck and Denny Connelly, Mandan.   In addition to Steve, Leona was preceded in death by her parents, in laws, Stephen and Katherine (Schmidt) Beehler, Stepfather In Law, Nick Simon, sister Eleanor, brother Jim, great grand-daughter Grace Beehler and many brothers and sisters in law.