Leone Rae (Johnson) Morton, 89, of Independence, Missouri, passed away Friday, August 29, 2025, with her loving family by her side. A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday, September 4,2025, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church – 17200 E. 39th St. Independence, MO. Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. and Funeral following at 11:00 a.m.
Leone was born on October 5, 1935, to Julius and Wilma (Strang) Johnson in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. She was married to the love of her life, Norman Morton, for 68 years, to which three children were born, Bill, Bonnie and Gina. For 30 years, Leone drove a school bus for Ft. Osage and Blue Springs School districts and retired in 1999. Leone was devoted to her Church. She was President of Lutheran Woman’s Missionary League (LWML) for many years, along with being President of Lutheran Urban Mission Agency (LUMA). She was a member of Prayer Shawl since the beginning and Prayer Chain. She also helped with VBS at St. Paul Lutheran Church. She was very active in the Church and helped out where needed. Leone traveled to numerous LWML conventions over the years.
Leone had a green thumb. She spent many hours in her flower gardens and growing house plants.
Leone, also, loved spending time with her three sisters. They would meet monthly to play cards, celebrating birthdays and Christmas, along with going on trips together.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her daughter, Bonnie Morton Pendergist and her son-in-law, Patrick Pendergist.
She is survived by her husband of the home, Norman Morton; children, Bill Morton and Gina Morton of Independence. Two grandsons, Adam and Andrew Morton and great grandchildren; her three sisters, Marilyn Simmons, Janet Masters and Joanne (John) Tevis and many nieces and nephews and friends.
Obituary submitted by the family.
Royer’s New Salem Funeral Home ~ Independence, MO (816) 796-8600
Adam Morton
2 Sep 2025I love you and I miss you, Grandma. You are my best friend. No matter good or bad thicker than you are always by my side. I will never forget what you’ve done for me and I’ve always been there for me. Most of my childhood was spent with you and that’ll never be forgotten. All the great memories I have with you in the kitchen doing baking for Christmas or making dinner. The kids and I will always love you and we always miss you but we will always celebrate you. You are the patriarch, the stable of our family, and that will never be forgotten, but will be carried with us for the remainder of our lives and know what kind of light you shed on us and the light that you shed ahead of us so that we never forgot where we were going and who we were. I love you grandma and I always will. You are loved and missed, but never forgotten.