Leona “Toots” B. Ekker, 104, Eden Prairie

February 21, 1922 - May 11, 2026

Funeral Services will be 12:00 p.m. Monday, May 18, 2026 at Riverside Presbyterian Church in Sartell for Leona B. “Toots” Ekker, age 104, who passed away Monday at her home in Eden Prairie. Rev. Isaac Gould will officiate and burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery in Sartell. Visitation will be two hours prior to the service at the church in Sartell. Arrangements have been entrusted to Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in Sauk Rapids.

Toots was born February 21, 1922 in Holdingford Township to Thomas and Mary (Soltis) Jancik. She married Carl Ekker on April 6, 1947 at Riverside Presbyterian Church in Sartell. The couple lived in Minneapolis before moving in 1969 to Sartell. She was a homemaker who had a keen eye for decorating. Toots was a longtime member of Riverside Presbyterian Church, involved with willing workers and the craft group. She enjoyed watching the Minnesota Twins and NASCAR racing, eating chocolates, caramels, and orange cream ice cream. Toots liked to go fishing and traveling, especially her road trip to Alaska in 1958. She was a sweet, spunky, kind, patient, caring and soft-spoken woman. Toots loved baking and spending time with her family.

Toots is survived by her daughters, Cheryl (Bob) Pogatshnik of Sartell and Julie (Bob) Ekker-Seitz of Eden Prairie; grandchildren, Ben (Carrie), Erin (Scott) and Shayna (Rob); great-grandchildren, Alexis, Myles, Mia and Liv.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Carl; brothers, Alvin (Wanda) Jancik, George Jancik, Tom (Marianne) Jancik and Dennis (Sandra) Jancik; sisters, Helen (Dan) Malisheske and Rosemary (Gene) Habicht.