Linda F. (Odom) Pursley (1951 - 2015)
Obituary
Linda Faye (Odom) Pursley, 64, died May
5, 2015, in Wichita, Kansas.
Linda was born on January 15, 1951, in
Marianna, Florida, to J.D. and Marjorie (Huey) Odom.
Linda grew up in Newton but longed for
the mountains. She hitchhiked to Colorado in her late teens. And in
the early seventies Linda moved to California and had her two
children, Sonny and Missy. They moved back to Newton in 1992. Many
people got to know Linda when she worked at Newell's Truck Stop as a
waitress. Over the years she was known for her customer service
skills and quick wit. She even took a turn as a truck driver for a
few months. She was a mechanic in her own right taking care of all of
her vehicle maintenance. Her proudest accomplishment though was
raising her two children. They were the loves of her life. In the
words of Sonny and Missy, Linda was funny, sweet, caring, patient,
and charismatic. Her soul is now in Heaven and her ashes will forever
blow in the winds of the Colorado Mountains.
Linda is survived by son James Pursley
of Denver, Colorado and daughter Melissa Fisher of Marion, Kansas;
brothers Danny Odom of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jimmy Odom of Newton;
Steve Odom of Alford, Florida; and Tony (Anita) Odom of Hartford,
Alabama; sister Teresa (Bobby) Fountain of Hartford, Alabama;
granddaughters Destiny Ballinger, Lacey Hurd, and Charlotte Hurd;
numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her
parents J.D and Marjorie Odom; infant daughter Rykki Odom; and K9
daughter Zoey.
Celebration of life service will be
held at 11am, Saturday, May 9, 2015, at Florence United Methodist
Church, 201 W. 5th Street, Florence, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be
made in care of the family to help with the funeral expenses.
Published in The Kansan on May 7, 2015