October 13, 1949 - August 28, 2024
Linda ‘Lyn’ Geraldine Clawson-Wagner, of Cheney, WA, passed away on August 28, 2024 after a long illness, followed by a brief hospitalization in Spokane. Born on October 13, 1949, in Hardin, MT, Linda was preceded in death by her parents, George B. and Leota G. Clawson, as well as her brothers Larry, Gary, and George H. Clawson. She is survived by her three children: Steve B. Stav of Bryson City, NC; Brett Stav of Pullman, WA; and Leilani Clawson-Wagner of Cheney, WA, along with grandsons James, Ben, and Max Cleveland of Cheney. Linda is also survived by her sister Patricia Roberts of Bellingham, WA, and many beloved nieces and nephews. Her close cousin Georgia Pursley of Wichita, KS, and best friend Erline Clark of Helena, MT, also survive her.
A proud member of the Osage Nation, Linda embodied the classic Western girl-next-door—vivacious, smart, tough, determined, and extraordinarily resourceful. She had a passion for landscaping, home decorating on a budget, and enjoyed the outdoors. While known for her love of animals and tending to her flower gardens, her greatest joy was caring for children. Linda often said that all she ever wanted in life was to be a wife and mother. Though she worked as a clerk for DSHS in Everett, WA, in the 1980s and held various jobs throughout her life, her role as a homemaker was the most challenging and rewarding.
Linda was a force within her extended family, often serving as a mediator and a reliable shoulder to cry on. She was a favorite aunt as well as a stand-in mother to many who weren’t related to her. She was the genuine article, with a warm and generous spirit that earned deep admiration throughout her life.
A true woman of the West, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest, Linda spent her young adult years near Chicago and Minneapolis. Later, she enjoyed beachcombing in Washington State, where she raised her family. Despite her time living in these places, she remained sentimentally loyal to the Kansas/Osage territory of her youth and the Montana 'Big Sky' country of her teenage years. Linda graduated from Livingston’s Park High School in 1967. She was a beloved, unforgettable person with an impossibly large heart; she loved her family and friends fiercely.
There will be no services at this time. The family will hold a celebration of life in her adopted hometown of Chautauqua, Kansas, in 2025. In honor of Linda’s memory, the family requests that any remembrances be made to the Truth Initiative, an organization dedicated to ending tobacco use and helping individuals quit smoking.
