Betty Lou "Helen" Leonard

BETTY LOU “HELEN” LEONARD Graveside services for longtime Lewis resident, Betty Lou “Helen” Leonard will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, February 14 at the Arriola Cemetery. Helen was born on April 22, 1926 in Amarillo, Tex. the daughter of Clifford Neal and Lillian Mitilda (Keeter) Eddy. She passed away on Tuesday, February 8, 2005 at the Mesa View Retirement Home in Cortez at the age of 78. Helen moved from Texas to Cahone in 1941. She grew up in this area attending school at Garret Ridge. On March 8, 1945 Helen married Marion Harold “Buddy” Leonard and moved to Lewis. An avid gardener and active member of her community, Helen maintained memberships with the Country Girls, Lewis Grange, and the Saddle Dusters Riding Club. Everyone in her community knew her. Helen always took pride in knowing she was one of the first female operators in the area when the switch board was installed. Later in life Helen took the job as Fire Lookout at Benchmark Lookout for the U.S. Forest Service. This was also a job that she loved. Helen was a dedicated mother raising not only her two children, Randy and Loretta, but at various times taking in foster children. Helen’s children and grandchildren were the absolute pride of her life. She will be remembered and loved as the life of her family. Surviving Helen are her children, Randy Leonard and wife, Sara of Los Angeles, Calif., and Loretta Rytting and husband, Monte of Lewis. She leaves three grandchildren, Dr. Jacyln Rae Fulcher and husband, Dr. Grant Fulcher of Dallas, Tex., Joe Rytting of Lewis, and Shane Rytting who is serving in the Navy stationed at Port Hueneme, Calif. Her brothers, Neal Eddy and wife, Nancy, Tim Eddy and wife, Marilynn, and Jim Eddy and wife, Jaque all of Cortez also survive Helen. Preceding Helen in death were her parents, Clifford N. Eddy in 1992 and Lillian M. Eddy in 1994; and her husband, Buddy Leonard in 2003.