Our beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great grandmother Linda Maude left this world on October 13th after a short illness. She was our rock and the heart of our family, and we will miss her forever.

Linda was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 4, 1941, to Walter and Hazel Wideman. She spent her early years on a farm near DeSoto, Missouri. When World War 2 started, her Dad moved the family to Alameda, California, where he went to work in the shipyards.

Her older sister Glenda describes Linda as a happy child who was always smiling and liked to sing. She loved nothing more than to dress up and clomp around the neighborhood in high heels that were too big for her.

Linda met Jim Maude on a blind date in 1960, and they married not long after. Jim was serving in the U.S. Army, and they spent the next 20 years traveling to wherever the Army sent them, including Germany, New York, Kansas and Hawaii.

Linda organized the household, making a loving and stable home for Jim and their three kids Cathy, Kevin, and Bryant, in each new place. Our family eventually settled in Everett, Washington, when Jim retired from the military so they could be close to his parents Harold and Gertrude Maude.

When her kids were grown and left home, Linda turned to helping others, working as a nurse's aide in a long-term care facility for seniors. She took good care of her seniors, loved them like family, and grieved for them when they died.

Linda loved animals and regularly cared for stray animals. She loved to go to nearby parks to feed and watch the birds.

Linda was a devout Christian who found comfort in reading her Bible and praying for her loved ones as well as others around the world whom she would never know. She is with her Savior now. We hope He doesn't mind if she clomps around heaven in a pair of sparkly high heels.

Linda is survived by her husband of 64 years Jim Maude; her three children and their spouses Cathy Harrington (John), Kevin Maude (Kim), and Bryant Maude (Christi), her sister Glenda Bledsoe, her four grandchildren Shala, Jordan, Christian, and Lily, and her four great grandchildren Kody, Araya, Airiss, and Ally.

A private family service will be held on October 17 at Georgia National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations can be made to The Nature Conservancy or a charity of your choice that works for the benefit of animals.