Linda L Rather

Linda L. Rather, 67, of Chanute, KS, died Sunday, August 15, 2021, following a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 17th from 5:00 – 7:00 PM at the Wickham Funeral Home, 500 N. Forrest Ave, Chanute. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, August 18th at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 219 S. 10th Street, Independence, KS, at 10:00 AM, with visitation preceeding the service, from 9:00 AM. Burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Independence. Linda L. (Lessman) Rather was born August 6, 1954, in Orlando, FL to Gerald and Delores (Dollison) Lessman. She was a lifetime member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, baptized in Independence and confirmed in Oakland, CA.
She graduated from Independence High School in 1972 and Independence Community College in 1974. She earned a Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing from Pittsburg State University in 1976 and a Masters of Science Degree in Technical Teacher Education from PSU in 1981. She later attended Wichita State University and received her second Masters Degree, MSN, Maternal-Child Clinical Nurse Specialist in 1993. She began her career as a staff nurse at Mercy Hospital, Independence, in 1976, then SEK-CAP Family Planning, Girard, in 1977. She was employed as a Nursing Instructor for Labette County Community College in 1980. She served as a Maternal-Child Education Specialist at Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa, OK from 1982-1985, when she moved back to Kansas to teach nursing classes at Labette County Community College. In 1992, she joined the faculty of Mary Grimes School of Nursing at Neosho County Community College, Chanute. Linda began working for Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center as Education Coordinator in 2008, until retirement in 2015. Linda was an avid reader, loved history and researching Civil War events. She was an avid quilter and enjoyed sewing.
Linda was united in marriage to Keith L. Rather on March 30th, 1985, at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Independence, KS. He survives at the home. They have a son, Jonathan Rather who resides in Chanute with his wife Staci (Bass) and three grandchildren. Also surviving is Linda’s mother, Delores Lessman, and sister, Lois Lessman, both of Independence; two nieces, Hannah Jackson, Edgewater, FL, and Emma and Matthew Alston, and great niece, Skylynn Alston, of Mims, FL.
Memorials have been suggested for Zion Lutheran Church and School and may be left at the funeral home or the church.