Pat Leone was the father of Leatha Leone Rivers. His ancestors were Eli Leone, Jose Enrico, Donato, Jose Santiago, and Jean Baptiste Samuel (Lionnis). He was the oldest child of Eli Leone and Mary Ann Young. Pat was born on July 9, 1891 in the Blue Lake area of Sabine Parish. His mother died on November 7, 1909 when Pat was 18 years old. He helped his dad take care of the younger children: Frank, Lorenza Dowell, Pollie, Mattie, Ester, Oma and Obra.

Eli married Fannie Campbell and had these children: Florian, Helen, Bonnie, Andrew, Lorena, Gustava and Betty. Eli died suddenly on March 11, 1927. Pat tried to help Fannie with her children.

After the death of his mother, Pat boarded for a while with Frank Martinez and Martha Leone Martinez. Pat served in World War I and while he was in service, he studied “law”. Oral tradition has it that Frank Martinez bought Pat his first set of law books. When he was only 20 years of age, Pat was elected to the Sabine Parish School Board from Ward 5. He was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar on December 10, 1927 and served as a police court bondsman and lawyer. He married a lady named Anna and had a daughter in Oklahoma.

Pat was stabbed by a Negro man on December 1, 1931 in the Rose Hotel on 112 ½ East First Street. Pat got into an argument with a waiter because he called him “Rastus” instead of his name Robert. It ended in a scuffle and Pat was stabbed. The wound required 30 stitches to close. At first it was not thought to be a serious injury but Pat died early the next morning of undetermined causes. His funeral cost $261 and was held at St. John’s Chapel at 10:00 A.M. on December 3, 1931. His body was shipped by train to Zwolle to be buried in St. Joseph Cemetery.

Pat was a handsome man with blue eyes and wavy brown hair. He loved the ladies, booze and a good time - a bad combination at any time. He left a wife and daughter in Tulsa, a daughter in Zwolle, Louisiana and a daughter in Mansfield, Louisiana.

Pat’s death record at St. Joseph’s lists his day of death as November 30, 1931, in Tulsa, Oklahoma; being the son of Eli Leone and buried at St. Joseph’s in Zwolle on December 5, 1931. He received the Last Sacrament: Extreme Unction. The certificate is signed by residing priest, J. Van. Bokhoven.

John Belisle discussed Pat Leone in his book History of Sabine Parish. “Pat Leone, member of the Parish School Board for Ward Five was born in the community in which he now resides, July 9, 1891. Being without the means or opportunity to procure an education, he received his instruction in the common schools, which was very limited, and the measure of success which has come to him has been largely due to his own efforts. He is a good citizen, has the best interests of his community at heart at all times and stands up for the advance of education in the entire parish. The people of his ward expressed their confidence in his ability by electing him a member of the parish School Board.”