Leona M. Moura

Leona M. (Watson) Moura, 83, passed away at her home in Missoula on June 17, 2024 of natural causes.

She was born January 14, 1941 in Fort Benton, MT to Leon and Ione Watson. She was raised on the family farm near Virgille and Fort Benton with four brothers, Ken, John, Gordon and Ron. She attended elementary school and high school in Fort Benton and graduated in 1959.

Leona met her husband soul mate, Ken Moura, while he was stationed at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls. They were married August 15, 1964 in Fort Benton. They lived in Fort Benton, Seaford Long Island, NY, then moved back to Montana and added a son, Jason, and a daughter, Anna, to their family in Great Falls. Eventually they moved to Missoula. Sadly, Ken passed away just shy of their 50th wedding anniversary.

Leona and Ken spent many years managing and owning motels in Great and Falls and Missoula. Leona spent 20 years working at Community Medical Center before retiring.

Leona was a proud Rebekah and belonged to a lodge from the 1970's through the 1990's.

She devoted years doing Genealogy and researched as far back as the 1500's.

She took many memorable trips with her family including Portugal, Disneyland, Seattle (visiting the King Tut exhibit was a big highlight for her), Canada and New York. She was always up for road trips and took many around Montana throughtout her life. In 2007 she took a trip to London and Scotland with her granddaughter Iona, as part of a Missoula Strings on Tour trip. This was a very memorable and special trip for them together.

She was a voracious reader, loved movies, music and TV. She could talk about pop culture with anyone.

Leona was an animal lover, having grown up on a farm. She had many cats over the years.

Survivors include her son, Jason Moura of Missoula; daughter, Anna Moura of Hot Springs, MT; grandchildren, Iona, Joey, and Apollo; brothers, John (Lorraine) Watson; Gordon (Joann) Watson, sister-in-law Judy Watson and numerous nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ken Moura, parents, Leon and Ione Watson, and brothers, Ken Watson and Ron Watson.