Obituary of Leonette G. Murray

MURRAY LEONETTE

 Leonette Gertrude (Goeden) Murray, age 86, of Yankton, SD, passed away Tuesday, June 10th, 2025 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD, under hospice care. Leonette’s memorial service will be at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 14th, 2025 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Chapel in Yankton, SD, with Deacon Rod Wiebelhaus officiating. Burial will be at the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Yankton. Lunch will be served after the service and burial at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Chapel.

Leonette was born on April 20th, 1939 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, SD, to Frank J. and Frances (Schmitt) Goeden. She was the youngest child to be born to a family of 10. Leonette attended elementary school in a one-room at District 11 country school for 1 year, and then 7 years at St. Boniface Catholic School in Menominee, NE. She graduated from Yankton High School in 1956. Shortly after graduating from high school, Leonette moved to Omaha, NE, and attended United Airlines school; and after completion of school, she moved to Chicago, IL, and worked as a bookkeeper for United Airlines. Through friends at the airline, she met the Love of her life, JB (John B.) Murray. They were married July 8th, 1961 in Los Angeles, CA. After being married, they traveled in their Red MG Convertible and their adventure continued to Macon, GA, and then eventually, back to Yankton, SD. Leonette worked for Gurney’s Nursery and then for the Social Security Administration, retiring after 15 years of employment.

Leonette was an avid Chicago Cubs fan (Go Cubbies!). She loved traveling, camping, kayaking, the great outdoors, casinos, country music, poetry and especially watching the eagles on the river. She was a dedicated wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend, and much loved.

Survivors include her brothers Gerard (Audrey), Duane, sisters Charlotte Kirkitelos, Elaine Corey and her sister-in-law Angela Goeden, 42 nieces and nephews, numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Leonette was preceded in death by her beloved husband, JB, her parents Frank J. and Francis (Schmitt) Goeden, her grandparents, Peter J. and Catherine Goeden, Frank and Elizabeth Schmitt, infant brother, brothers Jerome, Marvin, Earl, and sisters Ethel (Ray) Havermann, Dorothy (Roland) Richard, her brothers-in-law Wayne Corey and Andy Kirkitelos, and her sister-in-law, Janet Goeden.

The Family would like to express their gratitude for the outstanding and really indescribable care that Leonette received from Avera Sacred Heart Hospital’s nursing staff, hospice nurses, the chaplains, and doctors, especially Dr. Amanda Sedlacek, throughout her last days.

A special Thank You to Angelhaus East for providing loving care to Leonette during the last 17 months of her life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Disabled Veterans of America payable to: Disabled Veterans of America P.O. Box 14031 Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301

Online condolences may be sent at: http://www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com. To livestream Leonette’s service, click this link: https://server.attend.live/static/event/ERZvv