03/15/2017
Funeral services for Linda (Wagner) Small, 67, of Knoxville will be Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home in Melcher-Dallas. Family will receive friends on Friday from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials are requested to the family to be designated at a later date.
Linda was born on August 23, 1949, in Iowa City to Virginia Spencer Wagner. She grew up in the Knoxville area and attended Knoxville, Tracy, and Pershing area schools.
Her happiest time, as a child attending school, was when she lived in the Pershing area and attended school there. She was blessed with three children: Teresa, Chuck, and Lewis.
Linda was a member of the Local 147 Teamsters Union and had worked at Great Plains Bag, later known as Stone Container Bag/ Smurfette Bag, for 23 years.
Linda was known for almost always saying what she thought.
She was a mentor to many and a very caring, but a private woman. She had a strong faith and belonged to the Community Four Square Church in Knoxville, in which she was very involved.
She also enjoyed being involved in the Beta Sigma Phi, XI ALPHA TAU sorority where she recently served as the chapter vice president. Linda loved to work in her yard and enjoyed tending her flowers. She loved watching the birds and squirrels from her backyard. Linda absolutely loved watching her dog, Lucy chase the birds, squirrels, and rabbits.
Linda loved her family without end. She treasured time spent with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, they were her greatest joys in life. They enjoyed big family gatherings, usually cooking out and playing in the yard.
She especially loved having everyone over for the holidays and her favorite thing of all was watching the fireworks, on the 4th of July.
Her latest thing she enjoyed doing, was making hats (she used the ring to make these, because when her daughter tried to teach her how to crochet she got frustrated when she had to rip out what she thought was all her. Linda enjoyed helping out by watching her great-grandsons, Elijah, Gavin, and Tucker. They spent their summers and other days, going swimming, going to the park, planting flowers, picking up sticks in the yard, burning leaves, working in the yard, going on adventures, hanging out in the back yard, playing games on the IPad, putting puzzles together, roasting marshmellows and making smores, playing hide and seek in the yard and other fun and sometimes, not so fun things.
Linda passed away Wednesday, March 15, 2017, at her home. She will be greatly missed by her children: Teresa (Tim) Stittsworth, Chuck Ogden (fiance Jessica), and Lewis (Heather) Small; 10 grandchildren: Chrystal Bumgardner(Jeremy), David Stittsworth, James Stittsworth, Megan Stittsworth, Lewis Small II, Timothy Small, Tanner Small, Trenton Small, Hollie Millard, and Lily Millard; 5 great-grandchildren: Calyn Bumgardner, Elijah Bumgardner, Gavin Bumgardner, Tucker Bumgardner, and Amelia Genovese.
Along with siblings: Vickie Gerdom and Ray Wagner and many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
Her mother, Virginia Wagner; sister, Reba Hunt; and ex-husband and friend, Tom Small preceded her in death.