Phyllis Leonhardt

Funeral services for Phyllis Elaine Leonhardt, age 89, of Oldham, SD will be 2:00 PM Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at the Oldham Lutheran Church in Oldham, SD. Visitation will be from Noon to 2:00 PM at the church. Coffee, juice and cookies will be served at the church after the burial service. All guests are invited. Interment will be in the Spring Lake Covenant Cemetery rural Arlington, SD under the direction of Johnson-Henry Funeral Home. Phyllis passed away, Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at the Madison Regional Hospital.

Phyllis Lee was born April 21, 1934 at Oldham, SD to Leonard and Mae (Wiberg) Lee.

She grew up in the Oldham area and attended country school and then Oldham High School, graduating in 1952.

She was united in marriage to Clair Leonhardt, her high school sweetheart, on June 7, 1953. In November 1953, Phyllis and Clair traveled to Fort Riley, Kansas where Clair served in the United States Army. They returned to Kingsbury County in 1955. They began farming north of Oldham, and Phyllis was an active wife and mother. She enrolled in college and graduated from Dakota State College in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with a Secretarial Services emphasis.

She served as the Business Manager at Oldham Public School from 1971-1975. She then taught Business classes and Typing at Oldham from 1975-1985. She earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling from South Dakota State University, and then worked as a Guidance Counselor at Grant-Deuel High School in Revillo, SD from 1987-1994 when she retired from teaching.

Following her retirement in 1994, she and Clair moved back to the family farm near Oldham. She worked as Postmaster Relief position in Lake Preston Post Office in 1994-1995. Phyllis was very active in her community to include Library Board, Prairie Lakes Art Council, OHS All School reunions planning, Oldham Museum, activities at Oldham Lutheran Church and Spring Lake Covenant Church. She also worked several summers at the Laura Ingalls Wilder site near DeSmet, SD serving as a teacher. Prior to her death Phyllis lived at the Heritage Assisted Living Center and the Bethel Lutheran Home in Madison, SD.

She is survived by children, Danelle (Lew) Brown, Richard (Rachel Brown), Deann (Brett) Jensen, Dora (Todd) Jensen, daughter-in-law Jacquelyn Leonhardt, 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. She also leaves a brother, Duane Lee, a sister, Juanda Lee Jensen, sisters-in-law, Sonja (Glen) Sanders, Linda Leonhardt and a brother-in-law, Dale (Mavis) Leonhardt.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clair and her son, Arlyn Leonhardt. Brothers-in-law, Gary Wood, Joy Leonhardt, Bill Golay, Don Jensen, sister-in-law, Verna Lee.

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