Obituary of Leona F. Horst

HORST LEONA

Leona F. Horst, age 90 of Yankton, SD passed away Friday, December 06, 2024 at Avera Sister James Care Center, Yankton, SD.  Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM, Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Catholic Church, Dante, SD with Rev. Jim Friedrich officiating.  Burial to follow the Mass in the parish cemetery.  Visitation will be 5 to 7 PM, Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at the church with a Wake service at 7:00 PM.  Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service at the church.  The Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton, SD is assisting with the service details.  Online condolences may be sent at: www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com.

Leona was born on September 14, 1934 in Wagner, SD to Frank and Clara (Hron) Kafka. She lived on the family farm near Dante, SD along with her two older brothers Felix and Edward. Leona attended country school near Dante, SD and graduated from Wagner High School in 1952.

After high school, Leona worked at the Cafe in Wagner, SD. In February of 1954, Leona married Ardell Horst in Dante, SD. The couple along with their six children lived on a farm near Geddes, SD. During this time on the farm, Leona spent her time cooking, baking, gardening, canning and sewing for her family. Once the children were grown and the couple was no longer farming, Leona had various jobs around Geddes, whether it was someone needing help painting in their house, giving perms to ladies in town, cleaning the Catholic church, cooking at a local church camp for many summers and cooking at the cafe in Geddes. 

Leona later moved to Wagner, SD and worked at several convenience stores/restaurants in town and Pickstown, SD. She would then move to Yankton, SD in 1992 and work at Gurney's Seed and Nursery and then at JCPenney until her retirement. 

After retirement, Leona enjoyed attending local high school concerts, traveling, dancing, going to art festivals and her grandchildren's activities. Leona was a wonderful baker and shared her baked goods with others at the Yankton Summer Market, where she enjoyed meeting people as they shopped various vendor booths. For several years, she would spend all day Friday making goods to sell. On Saturday mornings, she would load her car with 15 dozen kolaches, four dozen cinnamon rolls and eight loaves of banana bread plus smaller quantities of items such as different pans of baked bars and scotcharoos. 

Leona was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Yankton and was a member of the American Legion Auxillary since June 1992. After several illnesses and weakening health, she was admitted to Majestic Bluffs in 2022.

Leona is survived by her six children, Ronald (Linda) Horst, Brookings, SD, Connie (Mark) Ochocki, Sioux Falls, SD, Thomas (Wanda) Horst, Sachse, TX, Jerald (Carla) Horst, Geddes, SD, John (Dawn) Horst, Blackhawk, SD, Roxanne Olsen, Sioux Falls, SD; ten grandchildren Christa, Jordan, Kyle, Katelynn, Kitty,  Steven, Vicki, Holly, Andy and Alexa; great grandchildren Caleb, Jensen, Archer, Luella and Logan along with numerous nieces,  nephews and cousins and her sister in law, Alyce Kafka.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her two brothers, sister in law Margie (Ed) Kafka, Ardell, and a niece, Janyce Skorpik.