Leona Emilie Baros Caskey went to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday, January 9, 2025, in New Braunfels, Texas. She was born November 3, 1932, to Frank and Amalie Baros of Westhoff. She was the youngest of six children with five older brothers, Henry, Bennie, Julius, George, and Edwin Baros, and was affectionately known as “Sister.”
She attended school in Westhoff and graduated from Cuero High School in 1950. She met the love of her life, Emmett Caskey, and they married on August 2, 1953, in St. John Lutheran Church of Westhoff. They lived in Giddings, Corpus Christi, Westhoff and settled in Smiley where they both worked for Cantley Farms and raised chickens and cattle.
She loved being busy and working with people. Both sons were born and raised in Smiley and she was involved in everything they did and she loved her time with them.
She became very involved in the school in Smiley as both boys attended and participated in various activities and sports. She worked alongside all the other families in the concession stands at football and basketball games.
She was baptized, confirmed, and married in St. John Lutheran Church of Westhoff, where she also served on the Church Council and held various committee positions. The church was home to her. On Sunday mornings, Leona and Erleen Janicek would arrive early and stay late to make sure everything at the church was cared for.
As a family, they loved going to the sausage suppers in Gruenau, Lindenau and the Westhoff American Legion Hall. She loved to dance, and Emmett did what he could. Luckily, she had two great dancing partners with brothers George and Ed.
Some of her favorite activities were helping her brother Ed with Bingo at the Legion Hall, playing Bunco and dominos with her friends. She loved meeting her ladies in town for lunch. She loved food--especially when she didn’t have to cook it. She, however, was a great cook. She made the best fried chicken in the country, made a great roast beef and to this day, the best dill pickles in the world. She spent a lot of time at the Smiley Library where she helped her good friend, Susie Parker. She loved reading books and doing cross word puzzles. She even learned to use a computer that was donated to the library. She was involved with the Smiley community, helping every year with the elections, and worked for the US Post Office in Smiley for several years.
After Emmett’s death in 1986, she continued to raise chickens and cattle. She named most of the cows, but luckily not the thousands of chickens. She hired John Robinson to help her on the place and the two of them would load up her Lincoln with flats of eggs and off she would go to deliver them in Cuero, Gonzales and points in between. She was fondly known as the “Egg Lady.” Folks came by the house all during the day to buy a flat of eggs, where they usually had a friendly visit if she was home, or they would just leave money or a promissory note on the freezer in the garage.
Leona’s faith and her family were the top priorities in her life. She brought both boys to know God and the importance of faith within the family. She is survived by her two sons, Jimmy Caskey and wife, JoBeth, of Cuero and Mark Caskey and wife, Tammi, of New Braunfels, her six grandchildren, Justin Caskey and wife, Jenna, of Portland, Kyle Caskey of Gonzales, JoLeah Stiles Gorman and husband, Brian Gorman, of Capitol Heights, MD, Julianne Stiles of Dallas, Megan Caskey Guerra and husband, Daniel Guerra, of Clarksville, TN, and Jared Caskey and wife, Chloe, of Cibolo, and eight great grandchildren. She is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Visitation will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, January 15th at St. John Lutheran Church in Westhoff prior to the Memorial Service which will begin at 11a.m. Burial will take place immediately following the service at Bundick Cemetery in Smiley.
Funeral arrangements are handled by Finch Funeral Home in Nixon.
Memorials can be made to St. John Lutheran Church, 156 Cook Avenue, Westhoff, TX 77994; Heart of Texas Hospice, 12450 Network Blvd, Suite 300, San Antonio, TX 78249, or the organization of your choice.