Linda Susan Harapat, 65, passed peacefully on Sept. 1, 2014, after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer's.
A small service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Bigfork.
Linda was born on Nov. 15, 1948, in Grand Rapids, Minn., to her parents, John and Leona Anick. She attended schools in Pengilly and Coleraine, Minn. She graduated high school in 1966 and then attended Itasca State Junior College and Bemidji State College, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education in 1970.
She met her husband, Ron, while attending college and they were married on Sept. 13, 1969. Upon college graduation, Linda and Ron resided in Montana for three years, then Idaho for 11, before moving back to Bigfork for the rest of her life.
Linda's dreams of raising children and working a small hobby farm started in Idaho and came to fruition in Montana. Together they raised four girls and three boys. Through homeschooling, Linda utilized her education degree to provide her children with a richer learning experience. The family became deeply involved in the 4-H program and Linda led many projects for her children and others, eventually becoming a club leader. Linda and her family were members of the Bethany Lutheran Church.
Linda is survived by her husband Ron; her children, Nikki and Marty, Wes and Ann, Erica and Jonathon, Carrie and Jeff, Erin and Matt, Jesse and Shelly, and Trevor; along with 10 grandchildren. She is also survived by her mother, Leona Anick; and brother, Jack, and Linda.
Her father, John Anick, preceded her in death.
Per the family's request, in lieu of flowers, a memorial may be made in Linda's name to the Walk to End Alzheimer's ( http://act.alz.org ) through team Linda's Forget-Me-Not’s.