Leona M. Moody-Russell, 85, of Parsons died at 12:11 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, at Labette Health.

She was born Nov. 3, 1927, at Talala, Okla., a daughter of LeRoy and Bertha Opal (Whitson) Miller. She was raised there and graduated from Talala High School. She moved to Erie and was employed at Swift and Co. at Parsons. She attended business college at Topeka and from 1966 to 1977 she was employed at the Pittsburg Census Bureau. She moved to Wichita in 1977 and worked as a procurement clerk for the Department of Defense. She retired in 1989 and moved to Altamont in 1991. In 1999 she moved to Parsons.

She married James E. Moody in 1944. They later divorced. On Sept. 24, 1977, she married Claude H. Russell at Parsons. He preceded her in death on June 2, 1989.

She was a member of First Christian Church at Parsons. She was also a member of the American Association of Retired Persons. Along with raising her family, she enjoyed making crafts.

Survivors include her companion, Jimmy Dodds of Parsons; two daughters, Jeri Anne (Gary) Miorandi of Pittsburg and Phyllis Moody (Terry Murphy) of Hillsbourgh, N.C.; two sons, Fred Lee (Jana) Moody of Benbrook, Texas, and James Ray Moody of Wichita; three grandchildren, Shelli Cunningham of Parsons, Janet Tanner of Jay, Okla., and Mike Moody of Wyandotte, Okla.; three stepgrandchildren, Gail Stafford of Belton, Texas, Steve Russell of Henderson, Texas, and Jeff Russell of Glade Water, Texas; eight great-grandchildren; 10 stepgreat-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and 11 stepgreat-great-granchildren.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her daughter, Marcia Sue Costner; a grandson, Brant LaForge; a granddaughter, LeAnn Moody; two brothers, Charles A. and Bobby Miller; and three sisters, Donna Jean Nibarger, Karen Harrington and Verna Maye Appicich.

A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at First Christian Church at Parsons. Burial will be in Memorial Lawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday.

Memorials are suggested to the First Christian Church and may be left at or mailed to the Carson-Wall Funeral Home, P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357.

Online condolences may be left at www.wallfuneralservices.com.