Donald L Leohner
Donald Lee Leohner age 75 of Menomonie,
Died: Saturday March 28, 2009 at the Heritage of Elmwood Nursing Home in Elmwood.
Don was born November 30, 1933 in Harrisberg, PA, the son of Rupert and Lucy (Musselman) Leohner but was raised in Selingrove, PA. Don served in the military during the Korean War in 1952. He married Lois I. Lockwood July 20, 1953. Don moved to Corpus Christi, TX for eight years and worked for Corn Products. He moved back to Pennsylvania and worked for Chef Boy Ardee for four years. They moved to Menomonie and Don started his career with Swiss Miss in May of 1967 as a Food Technologist.
One of his first projects was to reformulate the Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate in 1967. He developed numerous pudding products and some today are the same formulas he developed. In total Don developed 175 products that went to market. He was one of the limited few who have received the “Beatrice Presidents Honor Club Award”. Don retired May 31, 1994 as the Swiss Miss Quality Control Manager. You never saw Don without a smile on his face. Don always enjoyed hunting, watching football and sitting at the table with his dogs at his feet watching his birds.
Don is survived by is daughter Bonnie (Larry) Asher of Menomonie; two sons, David (Nancy) of Elmwood; Jeffrey (Lori) of Menomonie; nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren; two brothers and four sisters.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Lois in 1996; a son Steven in 2000 and a granddaughter Raven in 2004.