Linda Carol Wiese, 78, of New Port Richey, FL, peacefully passed away on March 20th, 2023, surrounded by loved ones.
Linda was born on January 14th, 1945, to Arnold and Helen Luther in Decatur, IL. Linda graduated from Lakeshore High School, MI, in 1962 and received her Diploma in Commerce from the Community College and Technical Institute Benton Harbor, MI, in 1964.
After graduation, Linda worked as a social worker for the state of MI and FL, where she retired from. She was passionate about helping others in their time of need.
In 1965, after being family friends, Linda started dating Edward Wiese. Linda and Ed married in St. Joseph, MI, on September 17th, 1966. They went on to have three children: Cassie, Amy, and Gary.
Linda was predeceased by her parents, Arnold and Helen Luther, Edward Wiese, and Toby Drachenberg (grandson). Linda is survived by her three children: Cassie Drachenberg (New Port Richey, FL), Amy Hall (Savannah, TX), and Gary Wiese (New Port Richey, FL), three grandchildren (Trevor, Kaitlyn, and Allison) and her brother Fred Luther (Petaluma, CA).
Linda will be cherished and remembered by many people whom she touched throughout her life. She was a dedicated mother to her children and grandchildren, a faithful wife, devoted daughter who shared abundant kindness, warmth, and generosity with anyone who met her. She always had a smile on her face; she loved the color purple, cats, and playing games with family and friends. She was active in her church and ladies guild.
We request all of Linda’s loved ones able to join us in a celebration of life for Linda Wiese to be held at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5443 Sunset Rd. New Port Richey, FL 34652 Phone (727) 849-4418 at 11:00 am on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023. A live stream will be available. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your local cat shelter in Linda’s name.
Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church
Ronald Wiese
April 7, 2023, 4:53 pm
Linda was a wonderful sister-in-law who loved the Lord, her family and others. We grew up together in St. Joseph, Michigan. Linda was a beautiful Christian who had a strong faith in Jesus and shared that faith with her family and many others. We were able to stay connected with Linda via our monthly Wiese family Zoom. We always enjoyed seeing her and hearing how God was richly blessing her family. We will miss her, but we know she is with the Lord.
We will keep her family in our prayers. Ron and June Wiese
Sharon [niece, cousin]
April 7, 2023, 5:58 pm
Hi Cassie, Amy, Gary, and Family Members –
We are sorry for your loss and have you in our thoughts! Your Mom was a cool aunt and my favorite memories are all the family picnics at your Michigan home by the railroad tracks [also, your amazing toy room in that house… and, I still remember the Barbie gymnastics kit she gave me as a kid… I loved it!]. Thinking of you all!
Kyle Wiese
April 10, 2023, 3:04 pm
Cassie, Amy, and Gary,
I hope you are finding the joys in life during this especially difficult time.
I loved your Mom, my Aunt Linda! When my family visited yours regularly in St. Joe, she was always cheerful and had a big hug for me when we arrived. I liked being around her and have many great childhood memories of spending time with your family. ♥️
Ruth Winter
April 10, 2023, 5:18 pm
Linda has been a friend of mine for at least 60 years. We attended the same church Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, Michigan. I think she attended the grade school there with me but was in the next grade. I remember the good times we had when my parents Pauline and Ed Wiese visited with Helen and Arnold Luther on Sunday evenings many, many times. We had some good times playing board games and cards. I remember her house in Silver Beach and later the house in Stevensville. That was many years of friendships. She married my brother Ed and let me be their bridesmaid. Ed later moved the family to Florida to get work with his carpentry experience. Ed later died in a traffic accident and left Linda and the 3 children alone but God was with her and strengthened her to keep loving others. She invited me to Florida many times to enjoy her timeshare in Florida. The places were beautiful and allowed us to enjoy swimming in the pools, sitting in the jacuzzis, and a whole week every year to play card games. She was a terrific card player! Her faith made her strong and of good courage. May God bless us all with faith like hers. She was a very loving and caring lady. I will never forget her. God be with all her children! Love, Ruth Winter
Ronald and June Wiese
April 10, 2023, 8:52 pm
I wish to share more memories of Linda. Linda’s parents, Arnold and Helen Luther were close friends of our parents, Ed and Pauline Wiese. They were so close, their bodies are buried next to each other. I remember Linda and her parents visiting our home many times. Linda was a year behind me in grade school. After my brother Ed finished trying college, he settle down as a carpenter and started dating Linda. She was the best spouse for Ed because he was so quiet and isolated. After they were married, they moved into a “fixer-upper” in St. Joseph, Michigan. The only problem was and although Ed was a carpenter, he never got around to doing much repairs or improvements on their home. Their family moved to Florida when Ed ran out of work in Michigan.
Ed was the first of our Wiese siblings to die, killed in an auto accident. We always admired Linda for being a great mother to her three children after Ed’s death. Being a single mom is no easy task, but Linda never wavered in her love for her children. Linda never wavered in her love for Jesus. She often talked about the Lutheran churches she was active in there in Florida. We know Linda is with the Lord in heaven. We miss her presence but are thankful that she no longer has to struggle with chronic health issues. We will continue to keep her family in our thoughts and prayers. Ron and June Wiese
Carol Jancy
April 15, 2023, 5:03 pm
Cassie, Amy, and Gary,
Linda was a high school classmate (Lakeshore High School, Class of 1962). The last time we saw Linda was at our 50th and we were so happy to see her. Linda and I shared locker 198 during our high school years, so we got to know each other well and liked staying in touch after our high school years. We both attended Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Joe and belonged to the young adult club along with another classmate form LHS ’62, Helen Tilly.
Linda had a good sense of humor and wit, and we had good times together, so she is leaving us with a lot of fond memories. Rest in peace Linda. You will be missed very much.
Carol (Arndt) Jancy, Oak Park, IL
Cheri Talsma (Wiese)--niece
April 21, 2023, 10:44 pm
Aunt Linda had a laugh I will never forget! Her positive outlook on life and warm hospitality were other trademarks. I always felt welcome in her home with my cousins, and then later in Florida.
She also had the largest collection of salt and pepper shakers I have ever seen!
She is missed, but we can take comfort in each other and having the knowledge that she is at peace and in complete health once again with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Go with God, Aunt Linda.
Barbara (Reich) Miracle
April 22, 2023, 2:06 pm
I was a good friend of Linda’s when we were together at Peace Lutheran Church in Florida. Our church and school were small so our families always spent a lot of time together. My daughter, Tami and Amy were also very good friends. We had a small circle of close friends/school parents and if anyone came up with a hair-brained idea, I knew I could call Linda to join in and she always would. We always had a lot of fun together. Her faith kept her going through her tragedies, her Mom dying, Ed dying, and I joined her at the hospital when grandson, Toby died. I moved away from Florida in 2007 and our friendship remained, at a distance. I miss my old friend, but I know she is in a much better place.
Amy Hall
May 3, 2023, 8:27 pm
Mom
It is a basic word, really.
A three-letter word using only two letters and one syllable. Mom is a noun (person, place, or thing), a verb (action or activity), and a palindrome (same spelled backward and forward). It is such a special word that it shows excitement if you flip it upside down.
But the word “Mom” has so much meaning.
When you hear the word, Mom, most people immediately feel warmth, comfort, and love. You can even trigger an immediate fighting mode in people by starting a sentence with “YOUR MOM”.
My mom was named Linda. Linda, in Spanish origin, means “pretty.” And in German roots, it means “tender,” She was absolutely both words. Mom always had a smile on her face and was there to ease your soul. She listened, comforted, and even shared her own struggles when appropriate.
This past month, we had the task to go through Mom’s belongings, pictures, and memories, and it was clear that she loved her life and all the family and friends she interacted with along her 78 yearlong tender and pretty journey in life, from pictures, birth announcements, wedding announcements, in remembrance events. If anyone she knew had any life event, she still had the announcement to prove it. There were article clippings out of newspapers, VBS completion certifications, confirmation and baptism announcements, a couple of dozen yearbooks and other directories, and Christmas cards with family pictures from people far and wide. These things showed me that she was proud to know you and loved that you shared your life with her.
She didn’t really know how to complain much and always found the bright side of a situation.
She was passionate about those close to her and would stick up for things she felt to be true.
One of my fondest memories and one of the very few times I ever saw her upset and angry was one night in the early 2000s. My Uncle Fred (mom’s only sibling brother) and Aunt Connie visited us in FL, and we played cards on the back porch. The subject came up about people driving slowly in the fast lane. Uncle Fred was in the camp that people shouldn’t be in the fast lane if they aren’t at least going “faster than the speed limit”. Mom was in the camp it was her job to police people, and it was ok to drive slower in the fast lane to slow them down. They kept bantering back and forth, and it began to escalate to the point where I thought Mom would flip the table in rage (not really, but she was pretty fired up about it). This was one of the few times I saw Mom get that worked up over something. But I have siblings and know how easily they know how to get under your skin, so it only makes sense it would be the case for them as well. I knew I would not get in the middle of this sibling squabble, but I was totally on Uncle Fred’s side on this one—sorry Mom.
I know that I can speak for my older sister Cassie and younger brother Gary that mom was a major part of our lives and will be missed immensely every day.
My hope is that I can be as great a mom to my children as my mom was to me.
I love you, mom!
https://youtu.be/-SMlsWsHXko