Leota Kovachevich

Leota Kovachevich Memorial

In honor of Leota Kovachevich a plaque was presented, by cornhusking.com, to the woman contestant that picked the most clean ear corn per minute. The net load of the contestant after the deductions is the weight that will be used to figure pounds per minute. Typically a contestant will pick 15 to 19 pounds per minute. Any woman that participated in the Illinois State Corn Husking Contest in a class that qualifies them to pick in the National Contest was eligible to win the Kovachevich Championship. The classes are Girls’ Youth, Women 21 to 49, Women 50 and up, Women’s Open, and Women 75 and up.

Leota was inducted into the Illinois Corn Husking Hall of Fame in 2000. She placed first in eight corn husking contest. She won the Women’s Open at the Warren County Contest in 1986. Placing first in the Women’s Open at the Illinois Sate contest in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1993. When the Women’s 50 and up class was introduced as a National class she placed first in Illinois in 1996 and 1997. In 1997 she won her first National trophy by placing second at the National Contest held at the Grohne farm near Monmouth, Illinois. Her last two contest in Illinois were in 1998 and 1999, she placed second both years. She went on to the National Contest in 1998 and 1999 and brought back two more trophies, placing second in 1998 and third in 1999.

Leota Kovachevich Obituary - Ellisville, Illinois

Leota R. Kovachevich, 72, of 8501 E. Chipmunk Road died at 2:10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 17, 2000, at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.
Born Nov. 4, 1927, in Fulton County to Everett and Nellie Johnson Pollitt, she married Robert L. Kovachevich on July 2, 1955, in Peoria, He survives. Also surviving are one son, Jody (and Denise) of St. Louis; one daughter, Susan (and Sonny) Scott of St. David; three sisters, Ruth Berry of Lewistown, Hilda Shaw of Trivoli and Jo Thomas of Canton; three grandchildren; and one great grandchild.  Four brothers and four sisters preceded her in death. She retired from Asarco Mine in Rapatee. She also drove a school bus for Spoon River Valley District 4.  She was a member of the Fairview Quilting Club, the Ellisville Go Getters Card Club and was an Illinois Senior Women's champion corn husker. She also was a member of St. Bernard's Church in Bushnell.

Leota Kovachevich Memorial Award Winners