Linda L. Gass

Linda Lee Gass, age 82, of Bloomington, Illinois passed away Sunday, November 6, 2022 after years of a prolonged illness. Linda was born in Bloomington, Illinois on April 25, 1940 the daughter of Emmett D & Ella D (Barrett) Prather. Linda was a graduate of University High School (U-High), Normal, Illinois. Linda married Robert Gass, son of Mr. & Mrs. Roy Gass of Mattoon, Illinois, on Saturday, November 14, 1970 at East White Oak Church, Carlock, Illinois. Robert. “Bobbie” as she often called him, survives. Bob loved her dearly and will greatly miss her for the remainder of his days. Also surviving are her nephew Troy Prather of Normal, Illinois; niece, Deeon Harris of Grand Rapids, Michigan; her brother and sister-in-law Roger & JoAn Gass of Sigel, Illinois and their five children Roger Jr & Mary Gass, Page Henter, Sherrie Gass, Jana & Harold Richey, and Rusty Gass.

Linda’s career focused on customer service. She worked at various retailers as bookkeeper and cashier – The Piggly Wiggly, Washington Square IGA, and she retired from Blaine’s Farm & Fleet after 27 years of service. She enjoyed making friends with her co-workers and the clientele. She felt honored that countless customers regularly visited her lane and that she developed friendly acquaintances with many.

Linda loved to support various charities such as St. Labre Indian School, a Jewish Fellowship, and St Jude’s Children’s Hospital. She had a particular interest in Native American art and history.

Every year on Memorial Day and Christmas Linda faithfully placed flowers and wreaths on all the graves of deceased family members. Once she became housebound, she would send Bob to place the memorials. 

Linda loved her family dearly, especially her brother and only sibling, E Gerald Prather, who she talked to on the phone nearly every day. She missed him terribly after he passed August 10, 2020. She also enjoyed speaking with her niece, Deeon Harris of Grand Rapids, Michigan weekly. With Deeon, she loved sharing family stories, reminiscing about so very many memories of times gone by, genealogies, comics from the newspaper that struck her funny bone, and singing old songs to Deeon over the phone. They spoke frequently about spiritual matters and things Linda had read or faithfully watched on her Christian TV networks. Linda was a born again Christian and has entered her eternal home of perfect peace and rest. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Linda was preceded in death by her Aunt Maedell Bratcher and her brother, E Gerald Prather.

Her funeral service will be at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, November 11, 2022 at Kibler Brady Ruestman Memorial Home in Bloomington. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the memorial home. Interment will be in Park Hill Cemetery in Bloomington.