Leone E. Kirk, 78, Asheville, N.C., died Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at St. Joseph Hospital, Asheville. Leone’s Mass of Christian Burial will at 10 a.m., Saturday, February 4, 2012 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Dickinson with Fr. Patrick Schumacher celebrating, interment will follow at St. Pius Cemetery, Schefield. Visitation will be Friday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service.
Leone Ehlis was born March 30, 1933 to George and Anna (Schumacher) Ehlis. Leone grew up working on the family farm in North Dakota and attended St. Pius school in Shefield and St. Mary’s High School in New England. She graduated from Dickinson State University in 1957 and moved to Santa Maria, California, where she taught high school English and History. She married John Loyd Kirk on June 19, 1965 at St. Anne’s Church in San Bernardino, California.
Mr. and Mrs. Kirk moved to Asheville in 1971 and purchased the Forest Manor Inn from Loyd’s parents. They retired in 2008 after operating the inn for 37 years. She was very active in her children’s schools and as a parishioner at the Basilica of St. Lawrence.
She is survived by her husband of 47 years, John Loyd Kirk; one son, Michael Kirk, Boone, N.C.; two daughters, Krista Patterson, Frederick, Md. and Michaela Allen, Annapolis, Md.; two brothers, George (Patricia) Ehlis, Dickinson and Ron (Janet) Ehlis, New England; three sisters, Angeline Wandler, Wisconsin, Karolyn Koppinger, Dickinson, and Anne (Joe) Anderson, Minnesota and five grandsons, Matthew, Ben, John Ellis, Julian and John Michael.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 1:00 p.m., Friday, January 27, 2012 at the Basilica of St. Lawrence, with Father Morris Boyd officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the St. Lawrence Basilica Preservation Fund, PO Box 8995, Asheville, NC 28814. Arrangements are with Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson. www.ladburyfuneralservice.com
