Lahoma Leishman died peacefully at home with her daughter at her side as she lost a swift battle with pancreatic cancer, July 31, 2020 in Yuba City, California. Lahoma was born in Vacaville, Calif, Feb. 10, 1938 to Gladys and Albert Wentz. Two brothers pre-deceased her: Albert and Lenard. She leaves behind four grandchildren, Gina, Bridget, Antoinette and Ryan as well as seven great-grandchildren: Jordan, Robby, Chloe, Dustin, Rebecca, Sierra and Brendan.
Sometime in 1968 she was working as a cashier at Travis Air Force Base in California. There she spied Donald Leishman and knew she “found a good one.” Don was the love of her life, and an adventurous soul. They married in California in 1969. After leaving the Air Force, Don worked for Pan Am airlines in the San Jose area of California. He and Lahoma were lured to Alaska in the late 1970s. In the early 1980s they moved to the bush of Alaska to Cape Yakataga — midway between Yakutat and Cordova on the map. Lahoma loved the bush. Although the community was extremely small (the highest population during their time at the cape was probably around seven or eight people) Lahoma was active. She was postmistress, chicken wrangler (she sold eggs to friends in both Cordova and Yakutat), bed and breakfast proprietress and local weather reporter for bush pilots in the area.
After Don’s death in 2008, Lahoma left Cape Yakataga and made her way to Yuba City, California. There she lived out the rest of her life. Please leave words of encouragement and memories through Trident Society memorial page at obituaries.tridentsociety.com/obituaries/roseville-ca/lahoma-leishman-9301039.
