Real name: Leona Pearl Von Brethorst

Leona Pearl (Bruce) Von Brethorst was a songwriter for Christian music. She was born in Stinking Creek, Tennessee on July 3, 1923 to Leonard and Teresa Owens Bruce. After living in Detroit for a brief period as a young adult during World War II, she moved to Long Beach, California where she met and married Robert Von Brethorst. She was an active member of Bethany Chapel where she wrote poems and songs, organized an outreach that fed the homeless, and made quilts for anyone in need. She died on June 10, 2010.