| Leona N. Skillingstad 91,Sauk Rapids November 21, 1933 – April 4, 2025 Leona N. Skillingstad passed away peacefully on Friday, April 4, 2025 at Talamore Senior Living. A funeral service will be held at Benson Funeral Home on Friday, April 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM. Rev. Scott Pogatchnik will be officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Private interment will be at Assumption Cemetery. Leona was born November 21, 1933 in St. Cloud, MN to Leo and Eleanor (Behrendt) Schmidtbauer. She was employed by Purity Milk of St. Cloud as an office clerk before moving to Minneapolis where she was employed as a secretary for Lutheran Brotherhood. Leona moved back to St. Cloud in 1953. On April 7, 1956 Leona was united in marriage to Robert Skillingstad at St. Augustine Catholic Church, St. Cloud, MN. Their marriage was blessed with four children. In 1970 Leona was one of the first women hired at Frigidaire as a quality inspector. She worked there until she accepted a position at J. C. Penney, at Crossroads Mall in St. Cloud, as a credit clerk. Leona retired from that position in 1992 after 21 years. Leona and Robert wintered in Mesa, AZ for seven years. She enjoyed crafts, ceramics (where she was a kiln operator), bike rides and the occasional trip to the casino. Leona was a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, St. Paul’s Christian Women, Waite Park American Legion Auxiliary #428, and Sauk Rapids VFW Auxiliary #6992. The VFW was her favorite place to meet friends for good conversation, happy hour and fun. Leona was very close to her children and grandchildren and missed them deeply so they sold their home in Arizona to move back to St. Cloud to be close to family year round. Her five grandsons meant the world to her and she was especially proud of her great grandchildren. Leona is survived by daughters, Deb Streeter of Sauk Rapids, MN; Cynthia Reid (Ralph Katka) of Foley, MN; Jane (Joe) Warnert of Sauk Rapids, MN; son Tim (Tami) Skillingstad of Atlanta, GA; grandsons, Adam (Christen) Skillingstad, Travis (Ellen) Skillingstad, Anthony (Olivia) Reid, Mitchel Reid, and Joey (Abbey) Streeter; great-grandchildren, Leah Skillingstad, Calvin Skillingstad, and Betty Streeter; brothers Leon (Gayla) Schmidtbauer of Alexandria, MN; and Lyle (Kim) Schmidtbauer of St. Cloud, MN; and sister Diane Voss of Popple Creek, MN. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Robert on January 3, 2025, and sisters Ione O’Leary and Karen Held. Memorials are preferred to Moments Hospice. |
