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Linda Gatz

December 9, 1947 - January 21, 2024

Linda Kay Gatz, 76, passed away on January 21, 2024. Linda was born in Hot Springs, South Dakota, on December 9, 1947, to Evelyn and Gorman Kollars.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2024, at Memorial Services of Iowa (4208 N. Ankeny Blvd.) with visitation one hour prior to service time. She will be laid to rest at Ankeny Memorial Gardens.

Linda was a loving and devoted mother who raised her two children independently. She was united in marriage to John Gatz on December 9, 1994.

Linda worked as a CNA in healthcare. She was dedicated and passionate about caring for the mentally ill and the elderly until her retirement in 2010. Even after retiring, she continued to help the elderly by bringing them food and assisting with house cleaning.

Linda cherished spending time with her grandchildren, baking cookies, reading with them, teaching them to write, and coloring. No one was more passionate about being a Grandma than Linda; she adored her grandkids.

She also loved her cat, Odie, and her dog, Max. Linda was a good listener and a comforting shoulder to cry on. Many unofficially adopted kids called her mom throughout the years. She remained selfless, trying to take care of everyone. Almost until her last breath, she worried about how everyone would get along after she was gone.

Linda is survived by her husband, John Gatz; brother, Greg (Debbie) Borton; sister, Kim (John) Bower, daughter, Stephanie Abshire; son, Stephen (Laura) Sands; stepdaughters, Carly (John) Wollschlager, Kelsey (Erika) Gatz, Kris (Ray) Kling, and Amy (Kurt) Laud; stepson, Colin (Robyn) Gatz; and grandchildren, Lacey Sands, Bethanie Abshire, Brittanie Abshire, Brandi (Luke) Abshire, Alex Parry, Isabella Jennings Austin, Deklan, Vance, Jamesen, Camden, Crosby, Jenna, Spencer, Cody, Mason, Alec and Archer. She is also survived by six nieces and nephews.

Linda was preceded in death by mother, Evelyn Murray; father, Mike Murray; father, Gorman Kollars; son-in-law, Shane Abshire; sister, Jean Nasabal; and nephew, Christopher Borton.