Leta Flo (Raymond) Drinkwalter
In the morning hours of January 27, 2020 Leta Flo (Raymond) Drinkwalter quietly departed this world from her apartment at the Wyndstone in Billings, MT.
Leta was born in Scottsbluff, NE to parents Louis and Katherine (Miller) Raymond. She enjoyed growing up on the farm with her sister Margie and her love of the natural world endured all her life. After her early school years in Whitney, NE, she graduated from Chadron High School.
Leta married Willard Ross Drinkwalter in Rapid City, SD on May 16,1949. They went on to have 6 children, one daughter and five sons, raising their family in Wyoming and eventually Billings. Leta was a devoted mother who enjoyed being involved in her sons’ various activities and sports, including scorekeeping for Heights Little League Football. She was also an active member of Lockwood Evangelical Church where she sang in the choir and taught Sunday School.
Leta was an excellent homemaker, and was also a part of the daily operations of the business she and Willard were both so proud of, W.R. Drinkwalter and Sons Trucking. She enjoyed reaping nature’s Bounty, whether through her gardening and canning, her apple-picking trips to Fromberg or her early morning walks looking for agates. She was a gentle soul who delighted in her grandchildren and felt an affinity with animals. She will be deeply missed by those who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Willard; son Neil; infant daughter Judy, sister Margie, and her grandson Seth.
Leta is survived by her son, Robert (Judy) and their children, Jennifer and Matthew (Darci); son, Jerry (Colleen) and their children, Sommer Phillips (Brian), Drew (Emily) and Taylor; grandchildren Max (Kathy) and Ryan (Marcia); son, Bruce (Sonja) and their children, Ben (Mayuko), Adam, Caleb, Danny and Hannah; son, Gale (Janet) and their children Amber Fremin (Josh), Ashley Castillo (Christopher), Trent and Sydney (J.); daughter-in-law Jean and her children Ken, Patty and Jacob; she is also survived by 15 great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, February 5that Dahl Funeral Chapel with interment to follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens.
