Linda Gail (Caldemeyer) Ramsey Gibson, Springfield, MO, passed away of pancreatic cancer on March 19, 2024, at the age of 78. She was born in Hammond, IN, on November 14, 1945, to the late Robert and Ethel (Basz) Caldemeyer. She was a graduate of Joplin Senior High, class of 1963. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in library sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Linda was united in marriage to her first husband, Dan Ramsey in 1967. Dan and Linda served in the Peace Corps in Panama from 1967 to 1968. They later lived in Oregon and West Virginia before returning to Missouri in 1986. Linda worked as an elementary school teacher in French Creek, WV, then as the high school librarian in Centralia, MO, until 1994 when she and Dan went their separate ways. In 1995, she moved to Springfield, MO, where she worked in the Ozark Technical Community College library, retiring as the Director in 2006.

Linda married Clyde Gibson in 2005, and they shared 19 fun-filled years of travel, fishing, dancing, and touring in their Model T. Linda had a contagious zeal for life and was always engaging others in fun, interesting, educational, or silly activities. She loved playful traditions like Springerle cookies, treasure hunts, searching for morel mushrooms, birthday parties, and costume-based holidays. She enjoyed genealogical research, playing pinochle with family, and exploring maps of all kinds. She also blessed many people with her master skills as a baker and cake decorator over the years. Her grandchildren loved teasing her about her tenacious attention to grammatical correctness and her attention to fairness in board games and life. She was an avid reader of great literature, spoke Spanish fluently, adored all things Hungarian, and loved to travel to new and exciting places. Linda always stood up for equal rights for all people and served on the Springfield, Missouri Mayor’s Commission for Human Rights. Her smile would light up a room and will forever light up the hearts of those that knew her. She will be dearly missed.

She is survived by her husband, Clyde of the home; children, Gabriel Ramsey, San Francisco, CA, Dana Thomas (Justin), Springfield, MO, and Clyde’s children, Robert Gibson (Rita), Jericho Springs, MO, Deborah Chapman, Weldon Spring, MO, Duane Gibson (Melanie), Fair Play, MO, and Brett Gibson (Kim), Springfield, MO. Grandchildren include Eli and Brighton Thomas, Travis and Trever Gire, Andrew, Hailey, and Brooke Gibson, and Everett Gibson. Great-grandchildren include Lyndsy, Layney and Treyton Gire. She is survived by her sister Janet Palmer of Rio Rico, AZ. Linda was also a devoted mother and grandmother to her bonus son, Emille Tshibandja and his children, Nicky, Nisha, and Niwa Ntizala. She was a loving Aunt to Linda Palmer, Max Gries (Tyler), Melaina Sanders and Zach Mozie (Hailey). She was blessed with many years of camaraderie with her Friday Five women’s group and many other dear friends and family members.

Visitation is planned for Monday, March 25, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. with the funeral services following at Greenlawn Funeral Home North at 1:00 pm. Reverend Phillip Wright will officiate. Interment will follow at St. Wenceslaus Cemetery near Bolivar, MO.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri, 3161 W Norton Rd, Springfield, MO 65803.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Greenlawn Funeral Home North in Springfield, Missouri.