Linda Lee Clark

Linda Lee Clark (Chamness), was born Dec. 26, 1942, in Dayton, Ohio, to Lee and Catherine (Hagstrum) Chamness. Nine years later her sister, Beth, was born. Her father served under General Patton in World War II. His MOS led to government work upon discharge, and in the course of time, the family moved to Maryland for government work. There Linda graduated from the University of Maryland in College Park in 1965 as a certified teacher (K-8) and did graduate work as well. In 1961, her first year on campus, she met Gray Clark in their government and politics class. They were a steady couple marrying June 20, 1965.

Her first teaching assignment was on the second floor of a barracks at Fort Meade, Md., teaching military children. She taught in public schools, Christian schools, tutored, and all of her children received homeschooling instruction from her totaling a 42-year teaching experience. She also taught reading to struggling children as a volunteer in one school and tutored neighborhood children without charge, in which her classroom was the hall. She loved to teach. Also, she was a leading light in the organization of a Christian Day school of about 120 children.

In 1982, Linda and her four children with her husband moved to the Church of Israel to teach in Christian Heritage Academy until 2006, when declining health forced a retirement. During this time, she wrote a phonics book titled, "Reading Taught by Phonics" which has been used at CHA for about 25 years and was also used in the local public school.

She was an avid flower gardener, leaving behind nine separate gardening areas for her family to enjoy and learn to maintain. Further, she was adroit in English history enjoying her trip to UK and Ireland in 2001 as the pinnacle trip of them all. Her knowledge of American history was not lacking as she had visited every key national historical place in the United States including countless Civil War battlefields -- these to please her husband. She sewed and canned -- putting up a personal record of 1,000 jars one summer. Needless to say, she enjoyed her grandchildren as much as any grandmother could. Somehow, she found a way to win at spades. Pleasing and sacrificing for her family gave her the greatest joy.

She died peacefully of cancer at home after a year-long illness and fully anticipates being in the resurrection. Surviving family members are her husband, Gray; Glenda Brehm and her husband, Dan; Manda Clark; Nathan Clark and his children; and Jennifer Cozad and her husband, Pat.

Funeral services for Linda were held at 9:45 a.m., Saturday, June 4, at the Church of Israel in Schell City, Mo. The pastoral staff and music department from the Church of Israel conducted the service. Pallbearers were Nathan Clark, Daniel Brehm, Pat Cozad, Reed Benson, John Coleman and Bob Burney. Interment was in the Zion Cemetery in Schell City, Mo.

Memorials are suggested to Heartland Hospice.

Funeral arrangements for Mrs. Clark were entrusted to the Lewis-Hoagland Funeral Home, Schell City, Mo.