Leona LaFloe, age 84, of Belcourt, ND passed away on Friday, April 8, 2022 at the Belcourt Hospital, Belcourt, ND.

Leona Rose (McLeod) LaFloe was born on March 7, 1938.  She was born and raised in Deloraine, Manitoba, Canada by her parents Louis and Winifred (Pratt) McLeod.  She was near the middle in her family of her four sisters and six brothers.  Leona attended some school in the old one-room schools in Deloraine for a time.  She attended boarding school in Ft. Totten, ND for a few years.  Leona eventually got her high school diploma from Turtle Mountain Community College.  She was a woman with wisdom attained through a long life of lived experiences and valued the importance of school and a formal education for all of her children.

Leona met and married Lawrence (Gil) LaFloe in June of 1956.  Together they had 14 children – three sons and 11 daughters.  They firs met at the wedding of their siblings Alvin McLeod and Ella LaFloe.   Together, Leona and Gil moved to San Jose, CA and started a family.  Eventually they returned to the Turtle Mountains where they lived together for many, many years.  Leona and Gil celebrated their 40 ^th wedding anniversary at their home in 1996 surrounded by their children, grandchildren, family and friends.  Gil passed away in the spring of 2003, leaving Leona with a place in her heart that would never be filled again.

Leona was a proud homemaker for her children for many years.  She made the best of what they had every day – offering a clean home, a roof and a hot meal along with a loving yet firm hand for her children.  For a time, she helped babysit for other children and helped clean other homes before choosing to work outside the home at the Turtle Mountain Community College.  She spent some time working at San Haven before it was closed.  Leona was also an ambulance driver.  Eventually she took a job working at the Turtle Mountain Manufacturing Plant for many years.  Her last place of employment, the Retirement Home in Belcourt, brought her many smiles each day that she shared with many people while cleaning and finally answering the phones at the front desk.  Leona fully retired in 2017.

Leona was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence (Gil) LaFloe, two daughters, Cecile (LaFloe) Parisien and Rosalie Ann (LaFloe-Belgarde) Murphy, her parents, Louis and Winifred McLeod, her brothers, Ernest (Ft McLeod, Alberta Canada), William (Bill), Leonard, Eddie, and Johnny (of California), her sisters, Ellen (Adolf) Longie (of Spokane), Martha Bourgeious (of Brandon, Manitoba), Gladys Burney (of Brandon Manitoba), and Diane (Linus) Gladue (of Dunseith), two grandchildren, Brandi Robertson and Dwight (DJ) Hoornaert Jr., and four great grandchildren.

Leona is survived by her children, Gen Grant, Lawrence LaFloe Jr., Theresa (Jesse) Allery (of Devils Lake), Marlene LaFloe, Jacqueline (Scott) Selburg, Richard LaFloe (of Devils Lake), Roberta LaFloe, Mary (Doug) Jeanotte (of Moorhead, MN), Lori (Tom Robertson) LaFloe (of Fr. Totten), Janice (Jeff DuBois) LaFloe (of St. Paul, MN), Curtis (Loretta) LaFloe, and Michelle LaFloe; her brother, Alvin (Ella) McLeod; 38 grandchildren; 67 great grandchildren; and five great great grandchildren.

Leona was a strong woman with a strong will until her final days – she succumbed to end stage Parkinson's Disease on Friday, April 8, 2022.  Please consider a donation to the Parkinson's Foundation of Minnesota and Dakotas.

Pallbearers are Michael Grant, Jason Allery, Christopher Parisien, Shonn LaFloe, Michael Selburg, Rick LaFloe Jr., Ashley King, Alex LaFloe, Zach LaFloe, Pierce LaFloe, and Scott Selburg.  Honorary Bearers are all grandsons, great grandsons, and great great grandsons.  Eucharistic Gifts by Curtis, Loretta, and Cody LaFloe.  Eulogy by family and friends.  Pall placed by Mandy Taniguchi, Kari Jackson, Heather King, and Hannah LaFloe.  Music by Lambert Azure, Betty Hamley, and Michael Selburg.  Rosary by Alvin and Ella McLeod and Liz Baker.  Readers are Claudette McLeod and Betty Hamley.

A visitation will begin at 5:00 PM on Monday, April 18, 2022 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Belcourt, ND with a Rosary Service at 7:00 PM.  A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 10:00 AM at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Belcourt, ND with Fr. Tony Hession, SOLT presiding.  Burial will be in St. Anthony's Catholic Cemetery, Belcourt, ND.

Elick Funeral Home, Rolla, ND.