Leona Cox Bochat

Leona Cox Bochat died peacefully on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 in Conroe, Texas surrounded by her family. Her family will receive friends at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home in Montgomery, Texas on Thursday, October 22nd from 5-7 p.m. A Rosary service will begin at 6 p.m. Funeral services, officiated by Father Ed Kucera Jr., will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, October 23rd at St. Mary’s Church of the Nativity in Plantersville, Texas. Leona was born on July 30, 1928 in Beeville Texas. She is survived by her husband James Nicholas Bochat whom she married in 1948 and by their five children and their spouses; Susan Bochat Mire and husband Daniel Mire, Nancy Bochat Baudry and husband Charles Baudry, all of New Iberia, Louisiana; Barbara Bochat Fletcher and husband George Fletcher of Spring, Texas, Mary Bochat Mabile and husband Paul Mabile of Houston, and James Nicholas Bochat Jr., and wife Ronnie Bochat of Montgomery, Texas. She is also survived by her sister Jean Allen and brother Jerry Cox. She was preceded in death by her sister Charlene Cox. They also have 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Jim and Leona lived in Franklin, Louisiana while raising their children and then moved to Houma, Louisiana for many years before moving to Victoria, Texas and then to Conroe, Texas to be close to their family. Leona loved to travel and did so abundantly her entire life; from making dozens of memorable cross-country road trips with all five children to later traveling extensively throughout Europe with Jim after the children were grown. Her two greatest ambitions were to raise her family well and to reunite her family with their British ancestors. As large as her family has grown over the last 60 years, they remain extremely close, gathering for every major holiday and many in between to spend time together, tell favorite stories and continue traditions that she created over the decades. Leona recognized her job as mother and grandmother as a very important one. With great energy and purpose, she created an environment full of laughter, fun, friendship and beloved traditions, some typical and some uniquely Leona’s that have shaped the lives of her children and grandchildren and will continue to do so for generations to come. Her ambition to connect her ancestors across the ocean was realized in 1984 when she met Mark Nesbitt, a cousin and fellow genealogy buff who lives in London, and thanks to Leona, now has a large extended family in Texas and Louisiana. Her family and friends will miss her beyond measure and will spend decades to come, laughing until they cry over hundreds of memorable stories about their mischievous, beloved mother, grandmother and friend. Arrangements entrusted into the care of Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home. You may leave memorial condolences on our website www.shmfh.com

Leona Cox Bochat

July 30, 1928 - October 23, 2009