Rath, Linda Gayle Deasy (1953-2002)

Newton Kansan obituary: 2002 Apr 24 p. 1; 2002 Apr 25 p. 2; 2002 Apr 26 p. 2; 2002 Apr 29 p. 2

Birth date: 1953 Jul 2

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2002 Jul 1 p. 8

text of obituary:

LINDA RATH

Linda Gayler Deasy Rath, 48, of Goessel, Kan., died April 23, 2002, in an automobile accident, which also killed her daughter Emma. She was born July 2, 1953, in Spokane, Wash., to Thomas Jefferson and Linda Friesen Deasy.

She attended Eastern Washington State University, then went to Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1976.

She married Michael Rath on Dec. 13, 1975, in Spokane. They moved to Minneapolis and attended the University of Minnesota. She graduated with a degree in mortuary science and embalming.

After graduation they moved to Yakima, Wash., where she worked as a nurse for the government with migrant children. They then moved to Sumner, where she worked for Sumner Violes Funeral Home. Later she worked at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tacoma as a surgical nurse. She was divorced in 1991.

She was baptized as an infant and confirmed in 1963, becoming a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church. After moving to Sumner she was active in Sumner United Methodist church. She was a youth director and one summer took the youth group to the Bahamas and Bermuda on a mission trip. She was a charter member of Foothills United Methodist Church where she was president of the board of trustees, served on the building committee, taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. She transferred her membership to Tabor Mennonite Church, rural Newton, Kan., on Sept. 24, 2000. She was active in church activities and in the community and Goessel schools. She enjoyed serving others in her work, church and community. She loved fishing, hiking and camping, digging in her garden and planting flowers.

She was employed by Partners in Family Care in Moundridge, Kan., at the time of her death and was engaged to Brian Kaufman.

Survivors include her mother, Linda Friesen Deasy; two sons, Shawn and Kristopher, a daughter, Magtgie, her fiance, Brian Kaufman; a sister, Colleen Olleman, and her half brother Warren.