
Leota Jochims, age 90, died January 25, 2025. A celebration of life will be held at 11AM Friday, January 31, 2025, at Sunset Memorial Chapel, 7601 Fleur Drive, Des Moines. Family will greet friends/family one hour prior to the service. There will be a second service in the spring of 2025 prior to inurnment in Northlawn Cemetery located in Spencer, Iowa. Details to be announced at a later date.
Leota was born on March 30, 1934, to William and Mable Johnson in Spencer, IA. She graduated from Spencer High School in 1952. After her marriage to Vernon Jochims, they lived in West Des Moines and Windsor Heights, IA. While there, she worked at Iowa Mutual Tornado (IMT) and Insurance Services Offices of Iowa (ISO) in downtown Des Moines. In 1976, they moved to Lower Gar Lake in Milford, IA where she briefly worked at McQuay-Perfex in Spirit Lake until retirement. After Vernon’s death in 2008, she moved to West Des Moines until her death.
Leota loved watching and feeding birds, traveling, and being a “Winter Texan” in Mission, TX with Vernon for 15 years, and was a lively member of The Red Hat Society. She enjoyed putting together puzzles, playing Canasta, and writing funny birthday poems and cards. Her greatest love in life was her family.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon, of 56 years, her parents, and her five brothers and three sisters.
She will be sorely missed by her daughter, Jennie Jochims Crim of Marion, IA, daughter Carol Jochims of West Des Moines, IA (who was Leota’s primary caretaker for many years), and her son, James Jochims of Holmes, PA. She is also survived by many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends, and loved ones. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.