FUNERAL MASS will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Montrose, Missouri on Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. The OFFICIANT will be Father Tom Hermes. VISITATION and ROSARY will be preceding Mass Wednesday afternoon with Visitation at 1:00 p.m. and Rosary at 1:45 p.m. A MILITARY GRAVESIDE SERVICE will be presented by the Montrose VFW Post 8820 and the Missouri Honor Guard.INTERMENT will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Montrose, Missouri.
The family suggests MEMORIAL donations to St. Mary’s Cemetery or Montrose VFW Post # 8820. Elmer “Lindy” Linenberger, son of John and Elizabeth (Kinderknecht) Linenberger, was born February 23, 1925 in Collyer, Kansas. He departed this life peacefully at John Knox Village in Lee’s Summit, Missouri at the age of 88.
Three events shaped Lindy’s positive outlook on life: Lindy, along with his mother, father and 12 brothers and sisters survived the Dust Bowl. They lost the farm, their cattle and his older sister Frances lost a lung due to the dust. Those years taught Lindy to appreciate the little things in life. He developed an ability to take charge and was always optimistic. Their lives improved when they moved to north central Kansas and settled in Washington. The second event that shaped his life was his military service. At the age of 19, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge as a platoon leader on the front lines. His proudest moment was shaking the hand of General Patton who praised Lindy for his leadership abilities. The third event was meeting the love of his life, Alvena. He would say she was the best thing to happen to him, and without her he would have nothing. They would have been married 67 years on October 1st.
Lindy worked as a mechanic at the Leeds plant in Kansas City, then moved to Montrose and had a business named Highway Auto Service. Peabody Coal Company hired him as a mechanic and he worked his way up to shop supervisor. Throughout his life he served two terms as mayor of Montrose, was a member of the VFW, the Knights of Columbus, and was proud of serving as the head of the cemetery committee. He was proud to own horses and have his family farm the land to “feed the world”. Lindy also loved playing cards with family and friends.
Lindy was preceded in death by his parents; siblings: Frances Brungardt (Joe), Victor Linenberger (Katie) (Pansey), Isabelle Brungardt (Ben), Al Linenberger (Josephine), Omer Linenberger (Bridgett), Irene Specht (Ralph) and Betty Burnett; parents-in-law, Gottlieb and Agnes Schallert; brothers-in-law: Al Smith, Maurice Schallert (Lucille), Bernard Schallert (Helen), Elton Cook, Cletus “Clip” Schallert and Magdalene Schallert.
Survivors include his wife, Alvena; their four children: Phyllis Sickman (Rick Jackson), Danny Linenberger, Vicki Westhusing (Dale), and Ted Linenberger; grandchildren: Shelley Dominguez (Jeff), Todd Sickman (Jessica Francka), Greg Westhusing, Phil Westhusing (Angie), Andy Westhusing, Dr. Kim Cortes-Gurule (Joseph), John Linenberger and Katie Hilty (Mason); great-grandchildren: Lola Westhusing, Evey Dominguez and “Baby Westhusing” due in January; siblings: Edna Moore (John), Haddie Smith, Jack Linenberger (Bonnie), Agnes Marsteller (Ray) and Phil Linenberger; brothers-in-law, Jim Burnett and Larry Schallert (Beverly); sisters-in-law, Pat Cook and Waneta Schallert; also a host of family and friends.
