LEONE CRANE, 89, of rural Aurelia, Iowa, passed away Monday morning, December 19, 2016 in Careage Hills in Cherokee, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 22nd, at 10:30 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Aurelia, Iowa. Rev. Tom Petersen and Nelva Petersen, C.L.S. will officiate. Burial will be in the Afton Township Cemetery, rural Cherokee, Iowa. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. at the church on Thursday. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. with the family present from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee, Iowa. Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

Leone was born October 5, 1927 on a farm south of Cleghorn, Iowa to Robert & Ruth (Mitchell) Ferris. She attended Country School and Aurelia High for 2 years and then graduated from Grand Meadow Consolidated School in 1945. She worked at J.C. Penney's in Cherokee until her marriage to Dale Crane on June 4, 1950. They were united in marriage in a not so typical scene. They were married on horseback on the banks of the Little Sioux River near Stoner's Bridge northeast of Cherokee. After their marriage she joined Dale with his trucking and farming operation. She then referred to herself as the "hellogirl" due to being tied down by the phone for their trucking business. She was always by Dale's side, where eventually she joined him in driving her own truck. This was the pride of her life. She also assisted with the duty of hog chores, which was usually followed by gathering eggs from the chicken house. Leone stashed her egg money in a special envelope. She also took pride in her kitchen. A family favorite was her "shiny pan dessert", followed by her pink "Christmas Punch." Leone was always devoted to her family as a wife, sister, mother, grandmother and great grandmother.

Leone was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Aurelia, Iowa, the Northwest Iowa Trail Riders and the Afton Township Ladies Club. She thoroughly enjoyed the annual Crane Trail Ride that attracted hundreds of riders each year.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Dale on March 28, 2006, brother John Ferris and a sister Mildred Bainbridge.

She is survived by her two children: Linda (Jim) Berglund of Merrill, Iowa; Steve Crane (Dawn Updike) of Aurelia, Iowa; four grandchildren and eight great grandchildren: Shanda (Dustin) Gronseth of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and their children Skylar Gronseth, Tristan Schlechter, and Sophia Gronseth; Kelly (Aaron) Wiese of Cherokee, Iowa and their children Chase Wiese, Evan and Macaib Appleby; Dwight (Tara) Berglund of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa and their children Kendra and Owen Berglund; Keith (Melissa) Crane of Cherokee, Iowa; her siblings: Helen Downey of Marcus, Iowa; Eugene Ferris (Margaret Steward) of Washta, Iowa; Margaret Wilberding of Montrose, Iowa; Wilma Grauer of Sanborn, Iowa; also many nieces, nephews and great nieces and great nephews.