— Rachel Leona Porter Boone, 92, was born Rachel Leona Heath, on April 6, 1918, in Montgomery County, to parents, Howard and Eva Lena (Botteroff) Heath. She very peacefully passed Monday, Aug. 23, 2010, at her residence at Bickford Cottage Assisted Living in Crawfordsville, where she had been a resident since July 5, 2003.

Leona grew up in the area of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church, graduating from Waynetown High School in 1936. After graduation she worked as a waitress at the Turkey Run Inn until her marriage to Donald Edison Porter, March 5, 1938, in the home of the Rev. John Services in Crawfordsville. Mr. Porter died August 5, 1970.

During their marriage Leona and Mr. Porter farmed in Fountain, Boone and Hendricks counties, living in the communities of Dover, Max and Advance. Later they purchased farms in Montgomery County and lived three miles north of Darlington at the time of Mr. Porter’s death.

Leona was the mother of three daughters, Virginia Lee Porter (Harold) Rose of Dover, Donna Sue Porter (John, deceased Aug. 12, 2004) Lytle of Lake Holiday, and the late Margery Ellen Porter Bennett (deceased Dec. 25, 2009).

Also, she was the grandparent of Allisen Rose Bateman of Crawfordsville, Stuart Wayne Rose of Cheney, Kan., Jill Lytle Smith of Schoolcraft, Mich., Julie Lytle Hofmann of Appleton, Wis., Gena Bennett Brown of Lafayette and L. Wade Bennett of Linden. In addition, there are four great-granddaughters and five great-grandsons.

She was always eager and ready to support her children and grandchildren in whatever activities they were participating in as they were growing up.

She later married George M. Boone of Ladoga, on March 21, 1975, and continued to live in the Darlington area. He died Aug. 9, 1986. Mr. Boone was the father of Dan Boone (deceased) and William (Bill) Boone of Crawfordsville.

Mrs. Boone was a member of the Darlington United Methodist Church and Sisters of Circle IV of that congregation. She served Sugar Creek Township as a precinct committee chairman for several years, working to encourage people to register to vote.

She was affiliated with Women of Montgomery County Farm Bureau, the Montgomery County Diabetic Association and served on the area committee to distribute Share Foods in Montgomery County. Leona enjoyed very much her memberships in the Darlington Anonymous Club, the Mother’s Night Out (MNO) Home Economics Club and meeting with the Mission Minded Merry Matrons (4M’s) of the Linden Methodist Church, helping to sew the needs of local charities. Leona was a past member of Sugar Creek Campers Club and the Darlington Conservation Club.

Fishing, traveling with friends, sewing and needlecrafts were hobbies she enjoyed before the loss of her health and impairment of her vision.

 She was preceded in death by her parents; her youngest daughter, Margery Ellen; brother, Russell Heath and his wife, Martha Branstetter Heath; and an infant brother, John Heath.

Friends and family will be received from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 26, at Powers-Priebe Funeral Home, 315 S. Washington St., Crawfordville. The funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 27, at the funeral home, with Pastor Alan Goff, of the Yountsville Community Church and Bickford Cottage, and Betty Uhl, Chaplain of Bickford Cottage, officiating. Entombment will be in the chapel of Oak Hill (north) mausoleum at Crawfordsville.

Please feel free to make any memorial contributions to the Darlington United Methodist Church, Darlington Public Library or the National Diabetic Association, to the attention of the funeral director.