Cleona Vey Duncan

1925 - 2016

Cleona Vey Duncan
5/18/1925-8/29/2016

Cleona passed away peacefully at her Newcastle home surrounded by her family. She is survived by her husband Jack Duncan, daughter Carla Cox, son David (Judy) Duncan, daughter Linda (Neil) Wyse, and her twin sister Leona Peery. Other survivors include four grandchildren, two great grandsons, nieces & nephews. She was pre- deceased by her sister Alberta Holaday and her parents Alva and Leona Bart.
Cleona and her twin sister Leona were born in the family farm house near Los Animas, Colorado. She lived In that home until 1943 when she went to college at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She completed a five year nursing program in four years, attending year round classes in a wartime accelerated program, and graduated in 1947 with a Bachelor of Science degree. During her college years she was in the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps, a part of the U.S. Public Health Service. As a registered nurse in both Colorado and California, Cleona worked as a hospital nurse, a school nurse, and taught LVN students for eleven years. She especially enjoyed her teaching years, as she was a natural teacher.
Cleona met her future husband Jack in 1943 when he was stationed briefly in Colorado during WW11. They corresponded during the war, and were married in Vallejo, California in 1948. They raised their three children in Livermore, California. The family was very active, enjoying camping, water skiing, snow skiing, backpacking, white water rafting, and travel vacations to Alaska, Canada, and the western states. Following their retirement, Cleona and Jack built a home outside of Newcastle where they enjoyed their country life for 35 years. They continued to live an active life together, traveling to Europe, China, and around the United States, researching transportation history in Northern California, and enjoying activities with their children and grandchildren.
During her life, Cleona has been active in Girl Scout leadership, PTA, AAUW, church, the Gold Country Model T Ford club, her ladies social group (LOLs), Friends of the Library, and the Placer County Historical Society. Her activities in the past three years have been limited following a stroke.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday, September 7 at 1:30p.m. at Pioneer United Methodist Church, 1338 Lincoln Way, Auburn, California.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that friends of Cleona make a donation in her name to the Friends of the Auburn Library or charity of their choice.
For more information contact Chapel of the Hills at (530) 885-3773 or visit our website at www.chapelofthehills-auburn.com