Leona Broers

Leona Faye (Vaandrager) Broers of Bothell, Washington, passed away on August 1, 2020, at the age of 74. Leona was born in Sheldon, Iowa, on August 15, 1945, to Cornelius and Pearl (Rienstra) Vaandrager and was the fifth of six children. She grew up on a farm near Sheldon and attended both Sheldon Christian School and Western Christian High School. Leona graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and then moved to Sunnyside, Washington, to teach grade school. Leona met her husband, Tom, in Sunnyside and they married in 1969. Together they raised two children, Christa and Matthew. Leona was a talented quilt-maker, and a long-time member of the Quilter's Anonymous guild where she won many ribbons in the yearly quilt show and served in the guild's library. She left many beautiful quilts for her family and friends to remember her by. Leona made many lasting friendships through her quilting hobby and passed this passion on to her daughter. Leona was a devoted Christian who loved studying the Bible and attended services at Mill Creek Community Church. Leona had several careers in her lifetime including teaching, accounting, and property management. Leona was preceded in death by her husband, Tom; two brothers Charles, and Vernon Vaandrager; sister Evelyn Beimers; brother-in-law Thurlow Beimers. Everyone who knew Leona will miss her kind smile and friendly laugh and she will be deeply missed by her two children and son-in-law, Brian Poel. She leaves behind sisters Cindy (Don) Hanenburg and Glenda Vaandrager; two sisters-in-law, Kathryn Vaandrager and Carolyn Vaandrager; and nieces, nephews and other extended family.