Linda Lu Chambers
December 20, 1943 — September 6, 2016
Linda Lu Chambers was born on December 20, 1943 to Floyd and Phyllis (Carstensen) Chambers in Harlan, Iowa. She was baptized at Altamont Baptist Church in Shelby County, Iowa. Her childhood was a typical childhood consisting of riding her favorite pig Goldilocks, until she was eventually bucked off, playing with her dog Lassie, and riding bikes back and forth to the neighbor’s house with her sister Ann. She attended school in Newell, Iowa for a period of time, later moving to Harlan, Iowa where she graduated with the class of 1961. After graduation, Linda attended Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Missouri for a period of time. Linda returned to Harlan and married Ron Mathiasen in 1963 at the First Baptist Church, where her Grandfather, Reverend Martin Carstensen performed the service. From this union three children were born: Curt, Greg, and Suzanne. In 1992, Linda married Ron Goetzinger at the First United Methodist Church. From this union, Linda was privileged to gain 5 step-children and several step-grandchildren.
Church life as a child primarily consisted of membership at Altamont Baptist Church. As an adult, she was a member of the Congregational Church in Harlan, later joining the First United Methodist Church in Harlan where she taught Sunday School.
Linda was employed in insurance, travel, and customer service industries. Her final and most rewarding job was as a home caretaker for a couple in Harlan where her true calling and loving personality was allowed to shine at its brightest.
Linda would do anything for anyone and always was concerned for others. She had the ability to make others feel good about themselves, always being complimentary and sincerely happy to be with the company of others. She enjoyed cooking and baking for others, with many having the pleasure of enjoying her homemade chicken and noodles.
Linda enjoyed gardening and making things pretty. Besides her family, she loved her dogs and treated them like kids, feeding them “people food”. Linda especially enjoyed time with her grandchildren, where they would go on walks with the dogs, eat ice cream, decorate the Christmas tree and she would tell stories she found hilarious, but were sometimes over dramatized. At Christmas time, Grandma Linda was known to buy so many presents that Santa would have to make two trips to just one house to ensure all were delivered on time for Christmas morning.
Linda is preceded in death by her son Greg, age 22, and her parents Floyd and Phyllis Chambers, and Stepmother Kathryn Chambers. Survivors are her son Curt Mathiasen of Baltimore, Maryland; daughter Suzanne and husband Kevin Goshorn of Harlan; granddaughters Nicole and Brooke Goshorn of Harlan; sister Ann and her husband Norman Snuttjer of Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Church life as a child primarily consisted of membership at Altamont Baptist Church. As an adult, she was a member of the Congregational Church in Harlan, later joining the First United Methodist Church in Harlan where she taught Sunday School.
Linda was employed in insurance, travel, and customer service industries. Her final and most rewarding job was as a home caretaker for a couple in Harlan where her true calling and loving personality was allowed to shine at its brightest.
Linda would do anything for anyone and always was concerned for others. She had the ability to make others feel good about themselves, always being complimentary and sincerely happy to be with the company of others. She enjoyed cooking and baking for others, with many having the pleasure of enjoying her homemade chicken and noodles.
Linda enjoyed gardening and making things pretty. Besides her family, she loved her dogs and treated them like kids, feeding them “people food”. Linda especially enjoyed time with her grandchildren, where they would go on walks with the dogs, eat ice cream, decorate the Christmas tree and she would tell stories she found hilarious, but were sometimes over dramatized. At Christmas time, Grandma Linda was known to buy so many presents that Santa would have to make two trips to just one house to ensure all were delivered on time for Christmas morning.
Linda is preceded in death by her son Greg, age 22, and her parents Floyd and Phyllis Chambers, and Stepmother Kathryn Chambers. Survivors are her son Curt Mathiasen of Baltimore, Maryland; daughter Suzanne and husband Kevin Goshorn of Harlan; granddaughters Nicole and Brooke Goshorn of Harlan; sister Ann and her husband Norman Snuttjer of Council Bluffs, Iowa.
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