Ferdinand Joseph Leonards, passed away Friday October 17, 2014. He was surrounded by loved ones in his home, located in Winnie, Texas. April 12, 1915 marks the date of his birth. He gave ninety-nine and half years of blessings to his family, friends, community and church. His mother, Mary Olinger Leonards and father, H. Leo Leonards, proudly welcomed their twelve pound bundle of joy into the world, in Roberts Cove, Louisiana. He attended school in Roberts Cove. As a young man he worked for Leonards, Inc., a hardware and machinery business owned by his father, specializing in Minneapolis-Moline tractors. He and his brothers also worked together farming rice.
Ferdie married a remarkable lady, Edna Mae Devillier, on February 18, 1941. They began farming together near Holmwood, Louisiana. In 1945, they moved to Winnie, Texas, and worked a family farm. There they purchased farmland on the prairie. In 1954 they built their home, where they lived together for sixty years.
Ferdie enjoyed restoring old worn out tractors and machinery. Church, family, farming and a strong work ethic was important to him. Ferdie was very generous to his nieces and nephews. He treated people with respect and was greatly admired.
His gentle nature, contagious laugh and iron clad grit, secured success in all aspects of his life. He impacted his family profoundly.
Ferdie also had a Cessna airplane and with Edna Mae, flew around the country with the Flying Farmers. Excitement would ensue, when he flew near the backyards of his nieces and nephews, tipping his wings, letting him know he has arrived. They would run and jump with excitement, waving back all the while.
In 1969, Ferdie and Edna Mae, along with two other Winnie rice farming families, went to Crowley to the International Rice Festival. While there, they gathered information on starting a festival in Winnie. From that meeting, the Texas Rice Festival was born.
He was instrumental in the establishment of the Agricultural Museum in Winnie where some of his old equipment is displayed, within the Leonards Building. He was a strong supporter of the East Chambers Agricultural History Society.
In 2004, he and his wife were named Texas Rice Festival Honorees. A few years later, at the age of ninety-two, he farmed his last fifty acres of rice, but was always available to offer advice to the area farmers.
He was also a founding member of St. Louis Catholic Church, in Winnie, Texas. He leveled the land where the existing building stands. He was a member of the St Martins Council 3452 Knights of Columbus of Winnie, Texas.
In the early 1950’s, when East Chambers school changed from six man football, Ferdie used his farm equipment to build the football field, which is still in use today.
Ferdie was the soft spoken country gentleman, who will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
He is survived by sisters, Clara Marie Wilfert and Sister Mildred Leonards; brother, Anthony Leonards; many nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.
Ferdie was preceded in death by his parents; wife of seventy-two years, Edna Mae Devillier Leonards; brothers, Joseph, Edmond, Leo, and Rheinoldt; sisters, Henrietta and Sister Bernadine.
Mr. Leonards’ celebration of life will begin with visitation at 9:00 a.m., with a Rosary recited at 10:00 a.m., Monday, October 20, 2014, at Broussard’s, 134 West Buccaneer, Winnie, Texas. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 3:00 p.m., Monday afternoon, at Our Lady of Seven Dolors, 209 North Adams Street, Welsh, Louisiana, with entombment to follow at the OLSD Cemetery, Welsh, Louisiana.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Mr. Leonards’ name to St. Louis Catholic Church, 315 West Buccaneer Drive, Winnie, Texas 77665.
