Funeral services were held for Leona Pothoven, 84, of Pella on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014, at the Pella First Reformed Church. She died Aug. 10 at home. Burial was in Oakwood Cemetery in Pella.
Leona Vos was born Nov. 17, 1929, in Sully. She was the first of six children born to John Cornelius Vos and Henrietta Rebecca (Kloostra) Vos. Her parents farmed in the Sully area and Leona attended local rural schools. Leona graduated from eighth grade and chose not to attend high school. The year she graduated, there was a county-wide eighth-grade graduation ceremony for Jasper County which was held in Newton.
After graduating, Leona did housework in the area until she started working at the Killduff grocery store where she worked for five years.
On Aug. 27, 1954, Leona was united in marriage to Melvin Pothoven at the Sully Christian Reformed Church. To this union three children were born.
Leona loved to travel with her husband, Melvin. Together, they visited all 50 states and also went on a cruise and traveled to Europe twice. They especially enjoyed the bus tours and over the years made many friends with whom they would coordinate their trips. Leona and Melvin frequently played cards with their friends. She also enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great- grandchildren.
She is survived by three children: Ronald (Louise) Pothoven, Mark (Sue) Pothoven, and Sharon Seekamp; seven grandchildren: Lee and Hannah Pothoven, Phillip and Joy Strickland, Trisha Pothoven, Jonathan and Melissa Hoose, Kelsey Pothoven, Lindsey Pothoven, and Travis and Wendy Albers; and five great-grandchildren: Andrew and Abigail Strickland, Wesley and Nicholas Pothoven, and Kolby Albers. Also left to cherish her memory are her brothers and their families: Clarence (Maren) Vos and Ken (Gwen) Vos; along with several nieces and nephews.
Leona was preceded in death by her parents; two stepmothers: Florence (Krul) Vos and Catherine (Vander Brink) Vos; parents-in-law: Andrew and Nellie (VanHowling) Pothoven; two brothers: Martin Gene, who was stillborn, and Larry Eugene; her sister and husband: Anna Mae and Joe Vander Beek; two sisters-in-law: Winnie Vos and Eunice Vos; sister-in-law and husband: Gladys and Harold Vander Hart; brother-in-law and wife: Elmer and Viola Pothoven; son-in-law: Marvin Seekamp; grandson: Scott Seekamp; nephew: David Vos; and niece: Teri Vander Beek.
