Linda Diane Orr Schafer
Linda Diane Orr Schafer
Linda Diane Orr was born October 11, 1946 in a log cabin in the mountains of Cascade, Idaho. Delivered and placed into the arms of her mother, Jerry, by her father, Jack, when the Dr. didn't make it up the snow covered incline in time. A year later, on their way west to "somewhere with more of a summer", they found themselves with a flat tire and few dollars in their pocket stranded in Moses Lake. They never left.
Linda and her 2 sisters, Anita & Janet, grew up in Cascade Valley with a close knit group of families where she and the other neighborhood children never got away with anything. "Everybody knew", she said, "if we got in trouble with another parent we were in trouble with our own as well." Evenings of fiddle music, dancing, homemade ice cream socials, horseback riding, swimming in the mud hole, and Bible school were common throughout her growing up years. At the age of 4, after a missionary lesson at Bible school, she jumped up from her seat and announced to the class that she was going to adopt 50 African babies and teach them all about Jesus. A life-long devotion to missions work began at that moment.
In 1965 she met and married Richard Schafer. The couple, unable to conceive, adopted a son, Kyle, in August of 1969; 2 weeks later Linda would find out she was pregnant. Their daughter, Deea, was born in May of 1970. Less than a year later, Linda found herself raising both babies alone when she and Richard divorced. Determined to raise her little ones to love Jesus and serve Him, she found a 'family' in the people at First Church of the Nazarene in Lewiston, Idaho. For more than 10 years they loved, taught, and encouraged the little trio. Knowing she needed to be able to provide for her children she enrolled in Lewis Clark State College and graduated 4 years later with a BA in Forensic Sciences. When she was not able to find work quickly after graduation, she reenrolled in college for 4 more years and obtained a BA in Clinical Sciences. Linda immediately found work in several hospital laboratories as a Medical Technologist, until she was hired in Odessa, WA as the director of laboratory services and remained there for 15 years. She returned to Moses Lake in 1998 to help care for her mother and began working at Moses Lake Community Health as a Med. Tech. until January of 2011 when she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
Linda served in many capacities during her 40+ years in the Nazarene denomination, but in 2009 she fulfilled the dream of going on a work and witness mission to the island of Dominica - nearly 60 years after the inception of the dream. Helping others was one of her greatest joys in life. If she could share the love God had shed abroad in her heart, or give of the resources God had blessed her with, she wouldn't hesitate to seize the opportunity. Prayer became her life's blood early on & she was passionate about it. Her grandchildren would say of her - "she inspired me to express my creativity, directed me toward the heart of my Savior, rewarded my diligence and hard work, disciplined the lack thereof, and lifted me up in prayer. I will remember her smiles, wise advice, and unconditional love."
May 21, 2011, Linda went home to be with her precious savior, at the age of 64, filled with His love and grace. Living on, with the hope of a life that magnifies her great faith, are her children; Kyle Schafer of Moses Lake, Deea Paul and son-in-law James Paul of Bozeman, MT, 3 grandchildren; Cassia Paul & Malinda Paul of Bozeman, MT, & Christopher Paul of Coeur d'Alene, ID. She is also survived by her father; Jack L. Orr of Roswell, NM. , 2 Sisters; Anita Graham of Moses Lake, and Janet Long of Roswell, NM, many nieces and nephews. Her heart 'adopted' children from Nigeria, Zachariah and Lami, Immashiya and Zigwei Tanko currently of Vermont, her 2 sisters-of-the-heart, Sue Calvert Scott of Nebraska, and Earlyn Key Tannhauser of Washington.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to women's ministries in Dominica, c/o Church of the Nazarene, Global Treasury Fund, P.O. Box 843116, Kansas City, MO 64184. Linda's Home-going service will be held at the Nazarene Church, 422 South Balsam Street, Friday, May 27, 2011. 10 AM formal memorial, 10:30 AM Home-going hoedown. Sign guestbook at www.kayserschapel.com Arrangements are in care of Kayser's Chapel & Crematory.
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