Linda Mae Hathaway, of Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake, formerly a longtime resident of rural Claypool, passed away at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018, at Grace Village Health Care at the age of 76.
She was born on Jan. 9, 1942, in Goshen, to Charles Walker Smoker and Mary Kathryn Kline Smoker. On June 1, 1960, she married Perry Ray Hathaway, who survives.
Linda was a resident of Kosciusko County for the past 68 years. She was a 1960 graduate of Leesburg High School. After her marriage, she moved to the family farm in rural Claypool and resided there until 2017 when they moved to Winona Lake. She was actively involved in the Kosciusko County Fair and 4-H leadership for many years. Linda was a member of the Extension Homemakers for over 50 years. She enjoyed baking, gardening, needle work, but most of all she especially enjoyed her family, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 57 years, Perry Ray Hathaway, Winona Lake; two sons, Donald (wife Harriet) Hathaway, North Manchester; Douglas Hathaway, Claypool; and three daughters: Darlene (husband John) Lash, Mentone; Diane (husband Lee) Kenyon, Wimberley, Texas; and Dorothy (husband Stephen) Miller, Osceola. Also surviving are 16 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren; two brothers: Robert (wife Helen) Smoker, Leesburg; Roger (wife Jane) Smoker, Warsaw; and her sister, Debra (husband Salah) Smoker-Ali, Virginia. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her sister, Jean Kistler, who passed away in 2013.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, Feb. 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana.
Her funeral service will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home and officiated by Chaplain Bryan Benjamin. Burial will follow with a graveside service at Graceland Cemetery in Claypool.
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Memorial donations may be directed to Mary and Jerry’s Helping Hands, 10274 W. 600 S., Mentone, IN 46539; or to Kosciusko County 4-H, 202 W. Main St., Warsaw, IN 46580 and would be appreciated by the family.
