In memory of Linda Veath

Close friends are truly life’s treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone. ― Vincent van Gogh

Those who read Divine Detour from 2012 to 2021 will remember the powerful, often humorous, and always inspirational words of Linda Veath. My BFF through most of elementary school and then again when we reconnected in our adult years, after I started writing, Linda read my first drafts… and every one after.

She encouraged me when life was hard. She laughed with me when it was good. And in every season she reminded me that God was enough. That He loved me and my loved ones more than anyone else ever could. And that He was able to get us through every trial.

She was a woman of quiet words, who gave generously and loved honestly. Family and friends were the most important things in her life. And it was her family and friends—along with her faith—that sustained her until the Lord took her home.

When I was asked to write her obituary, it became the hardest writing assignment of my life. I prayed that I could somehow adequately express the essence of what she had meant to me… and to all who had loved her. And then I remembered that she would be the first to tell me, ‘You did your best. Now rest in it.’

God was really good to give me such a special friend, a truly remarkable woman, and the best of the best. Linda, you will always be missed and loved.

Linda Marie Veath, born December 29, 1950, passed from this life to eternal life on Tuesday, December 9, 2025. She was the beloved daughter of Olaf “Bud” and Marie Veath and granddaughter to John Lyman and Emma Jennie Huey and Otto George & Helena Veath, who preceded her in death. Linda leaves behind friends and family who love her.

After retirement from the State of Illinois as a district office secretary, Linda spent time studying the Bible, reading, and spoiling her dogs. Also, a gifted writer, she was published in All My Bad Habits I Learned from Grandpa (Thomas Nelson), The One-Year Life Verse Devotional (Tyndale), Life Lessons from Grandparents (Write Integrity), Love Is a Verb (a devotional from Bethany House), and books from Chicken Soup for the Soul. Linda was also a regular contributor to the Divine Detour blog, where she wrote a twice-monthly devotional column from 2012 to 2021.

Charitable giving was an important part of Linda’s Christian faith. A favorite cause of hers was Healing Photo Art. In 2015, she contributed a nature photo to be used in hospitals around the world, including Sparta (Illinois), Australia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Brazil, Nepal, and France. It is because of Linda’s love for nature that she will live on and bless many patients across the globe. Linda was also an advocate of helping those in need, especially children through Angel Tree and Toys for Tots.

In her own words from Linda’s 2020 devotional, Under God’s Christmas Tree:

I have a question for Jesus this Christmas.

‘Jesus, what would You like for Your birthday? What would You like me to give?’

I suspect that His answer might be simple. ‘I want you to give the gift of your presence, your grace, and your mercy, just as I have given you.’

Oh…. And I think He would want me to give a helping hand too. There are many who are in need of a hand-up this holiday season.

Funeral Services for Linda will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 13 at St. John in Sparta. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Committal Services will take place at Union Cemetery in Sparta. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Angel Tree or Toys for Tots.