- Date Of Birth: August 2, 1926
- Date Of Death: December 8, 2012
- State: Colorado
Leona Rose Quarles Dudley was born on August 2, 1926, in Mulhall, Oklahoma to her parents, Mortie Quarles and Clara Swain Quarles. She was the fourth of eleven children born in the family. At birth, she was celebrated in the local newspaper as the largest baby born in Mulhall weighing in at 12 pounds. As a child in a large family, Leona learned to share, especially “bananas.” Leona spent most of her childhood growing up in Guthrie, Oklahoma where she attended Favor School until her father followed his work as a Carpenter and moved the family to Roswell, New Mexico. There, Leona worked at JC Penny’s, Walker Air Force Base and in a local drug store.
