Leona Schmeider (Haehle) Pantuso

Leona Haehle Pantuso passed away peacefully April 5, 2017 with her loving family at her side. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Curt Georg Haehle and Erna Milda Schmeider. Leona married her sweetheart, Gildo C. Pantuso on June 8, 1950 in Salt Lake City. She graduated from South High School and attended the University of Utah for one year. She worked at Auerbach’s Department store.

She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was sealed to her eternal companion and family for time and eternity. She enjoyed being a Cub Scout den mother, sharing her talents with her sons and many other young men. She was blessed to be a stay at home mom where she faithfully immersed herself with her husband and family, and enjoyed many times with loved ones at the cabin in Brighton.

Leona impacted those around her with her masterful artistry from the heart in many ways. She satisfied the palate with her famous hand dipped chocolates, delicious baking and cooking of old world recipes.  Her love lives on through the warmth of every brush stroked in her beautiful paintings, every stitch in her hand crafted fabrics, and every loop of her custom knitting, and crochet.

Some of Leona’s fondest memories include: At age 7 she recalls her mother’s parents came to the United States for visits from Germany. She always enjoyed the memories of the large wooden boxes that they shipped here at Christmas filled with fresh Stollen, gingerbread and Marzipan and the paneofeln. They were felt scuff slippers for the adults and children; they were high-topped with buckles to close and the toys that her grandfather hand-carved. She said she was so excited when her grandparents arrived at the Union Pacific Depot. The huge steam locomotive was an awesome sight to behold and always filled her with excitement. Her grandparents stayed a year and the whole time her grandfather had a workbench in the basement where he would whittle and saw away with hand tools making toys and dollhouse furniture out of wood. The dollhouse has provided many hours of enjoyment to three generations.

Her dear husband Gildo, her parents and brother, precede her in death. She is survived by her sons, Steven (Lori), Corey (Bonnie) and Craig (Linda), 15 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren that will greatly miss her in this absence.

Funeral services will be on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 11:00 am at the Rosecrest 1st Ward, 3101 South 2300 East.  Friends and family may visit prior to the services from 9:00 am to 10:30 am prior to services at the church.  Interment:  Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.