Leona Mae (Berg) Strickland

Momma, met Jesus & passed away in the arms of her daughters, Glenda & Cindy, with 3 grandchildren, Michael, Trisha & Rayna by our sides on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at her home in Suquamish, Washington. She was born on May 23, 1928 and was 85 years of age. Leona lived her first 16 years in Washington State. With her dad being a logger, her family moved all around the state but she always called Tenino her home town. She moved to California with her mom and little sister Margie in 1944 where she met and married our dad, Bill Strickland. They had four children together and raised them in Oakland and San Leandro. Mom and Dad were divorced in 1967 but remained close friends until his death in March, 1999.During her first years in Oakland, she attended Oakland Tech High, and worked as a ticket-taker at the Fox and Paramount Theaters (where she met our Dad), quitting work for the birth of their 4 children. In 1957 she went back to work at Pay Less Drugs in Oakland and Rexall Drugs in San Leandro until 1966. She then went to work at Owens-Illinois Glass and started "shift work" and retired 23 years later as a glass inspector. Momma really worked long and hard.She enjoyed and was very good at bowling, "playing the ponies", crochet work and sewing. She was a self-taught gourmet cook and home-baker of delicious Christmas cookies and cakes. Some of her other favorite past-times was watching the SF Giants & 49ers, the golf channel, cribbage (master-champ), bingo, cross-word puzzles and many good card games.She moved back to Washington in November, 2006 with her daughter Glenda and sister-in-law, Earlma Martin (deceased 2/14/2010) Mom felt like she had arrived HOME again to her native Washington. She loved the views out of her bedroom and kitchen windows…all 4 seasons - the spring bulbs, the "forever" green trees, fall colors and her last snow this February. She loved our dog, George, who was also by our side at her passing.Leona was greeted in heaven by her parents, George R & Meltry J. (Rahier) Berg, brother & sister-in-law George & Babe Berg, sister and brother-n-law Anne J. & Chuck Lawrence, & sister and brother-in-law Margorie & George Laughter, her son, Billy Strickland, daughter Cheryl Anne Cooper, former husband William A. Strickland, one son-in-law John M. Medeiros, niece Linda J. (Berg) Potter, and 2 nephews, Jack Lawrence and Steve Laughter.Mom is survived by her daughters, Glenda Lee Medeiros, with whom she shared a home in Suquamish, and Cindy & Terry Ellis (Poulsbo), son-in-law, Leroy Cooper (CA) 9 grandchildren; Marty Cooper, Michael (Stacey) Ferreira & Daniel Ferreira of San Leandro CA, Dena Ferreira NYC,NY, Tleena Ives and Trisha (Jimmy) Price, & Rosalyn Ellis of WA, Katie Zollman of Rochester, MN and Jay Ellis of Hayward, CA. Also cherishing her memory are 16 great-grandchildren, nine nieces & nephews In Washington (7) & California (2) and one surviving 1st cousin, Debbie (Rahier) Sundberg. There are too many wonderful-loving-respectful great and great-great nieces/nephews to name.Our family matriarch has passed on, into heaven, but left us with legacy of love, loyalty and a hope for eternity. She was first a daughter and sister, then wife and mother and auntie. Then finally GRANDMOTHER. She was called by Leona Mae, "ona-mimi", mother, M-I-L-, Lee Lee, grandma, Gram, Auntie, the "Great One" but most of all, momma.Her wishes were for her ashes to be spread in the sound with her son Billy and daughter Cheryl.We are all missing her now & until we meet again in heaven, but will be celebrating her life here on earth and her arrival & baptism in heaven on her 86th birthday, Friday, May 23, 2014 at noon at the Suquamish Community House. A potluck and salmon/clam bake is planned and we will be serving some of her famous cookies.