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Linda Marie Leensvaart passed into the arms of Jesus peacefully in her sleep on Friday, May 24, 2024 at her home in Three Rivers at the age of 69.
Linda was born in Harvey, Illinois to Wray and Rhoda Davis on November 23, 1954 and married Dale the week following her high school graduation at Thornton Fractional High School. They were married on July 1, 1972 in Lynwood, Illinois.
After moving from the Chicago area to Michigan in 1978, Linda accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and began a lifelong ministry of sharing God’s love with her family, friends, and everyone she would meet.
She began a career with the Kalamazoo Public Safety Department and retired in 2012 after 23 years of dedicated service mostly as a 911 Dispatcher.
Linda was a member of VxV Church in Three Rivers, Right to Life of Michigan, and a member of Gideons International since 1991. She was also a wonderful church nursery volunteer and Sunday school teacher for many years.
Linda was also a volunteer counselor at the Pregnancy Helpline Center in Three Rivers, a volunteer for the Victim Services Unit of St. Joseph County, and a citizen member of the Central Dispatch Board in St. Joseph County.
In 2019 she co-founded “Hope & Healing,” a suicide prevention and awareness ministry with Dale. Together they set up booths and displays at various events in Michiana including a booth every year at the St. Joseph County Fair where she could be found in building 40, booth 35 giving out “Suicide Sucks” bracelets and Million Dollar Bill tracts. She had a listening ear and a word of encouragement for everyone who would stop and talk. Linda’s favorite Bible verses were Jeremiah 29:11-13, “For I know the plans that I have for you, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Linda’s favorite songs were “Firm Foundation” by Cody Carnes and “So Will I” by Hillsong Worship.
Linda loved to visit the Three Rivers Probation Center with Dale to provide Bibles and devotional books to the residents and Oreo Double Stuf cookies to the staff. She especially looked forward to providing Bibles, devotionals, Christian coloring books and crayons to the families at KeyStone Place. For many years she spent hours making blankets for Calhoun County Children’s Special Health Care Services. She had a heart for others and was a blessing to her community.
Linda especially loved and cared for her family. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Dale, her boys, their wives, her grandchildren, one very special great-grandchild, nephews, nieces and other family members and friends will be forever blessed by her loving heart and wonderful sense of humor. Her contagious laugh brought joy to all who were fortunate enough to know her. She was loved and will be missed by many.
Remaining to cherish her memory are her husband of 51 years, Dale, of Three Rivers; her boys, Daniel (Kerri) of Westville, IN and Robert of Springfield, MO; her daughter-in-law, Renee of Little Elm, TX; her grandchildren, Ryan, Andrew, Alex, Emilie, Gabriel (Gracie), Daniel (Ashley), Samantha, Molly, Joshua, Benjamin, Natalie, Samuel, and Jacob; great-granddaughter, Remi; brothers, James (Linda) Davis of South Pasadena, CA, Steven (Karen) Davis of Rogers, AR, and Richard (Sheryl) Davis of Springdale, AR; several very special nieces and nephews. Every child in Linda’s life knew her as Bema.
She was preceded in passing by her son Christopher (in 2023) and both parents.
Visitation will be held Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at VxV Church, 300 Enterprise Dr., Three Rivers. A Celebration of Life will follow at noon at the church with Pastor John Koller officiating.
Memorial donations in her memory may be directed to: The Gideons International, P.O. Box 693, Sturgis, MI 49091. Envelopes are also available and may be sent to Hohner Funeral Home in care of arrangements.
