Linda Louise Kaufman

Linda Louise Kaufman was born on August 13, 1950 to Anthony “Tony” and Lillian (Huffman) Majerus in Harlan, Iowa. She was baptized at Bethel Baptist Church in Harlan where she was a member until 1971 when she joined St. Boniface Catholic Church in Westphalia and was confirmed. She attended Harlan elementary and junior high schools before graduating from Harlan High School. While in school, she worked as a Dietary Aide in the kitchen of the Baptist Memorial Home, then as a Nurse’s Aide through high school and during her nurse’s training. She received her LPN degree from Iowa Western Community College in 1969 and became Charge Nurse. During her twenty-eight years of employment there, she held the positions of Interim Director of Nursing and Resident Service Advisor.
On April 17, 1971, she was united in marriage to Marcus Kaufman at St. Boniface. They became parents to two children: Michelle and Mark.
Linda loved to garden and preserve the gifts that God gave her family by canning pickles, tomatoes, corn, beans, and blackberries, as well as other things from the garden. Because she loved being a farmer’s wife, she would help her husband vaccinate the baby pigs all the way through to getting them to market, even though that was what she liked the least of all the farm chores.
She was an active member of her church, belonging to the Parish Council and Rosary Society, serving as President, as well as coordinating and teaching high school CYO for eighteen years. She also taught grade school CYO, CCD, and First Communion off and on for eight years.
She retired from nursing in 1995 due to her illness forcing her to slow down. She then enjoyed reading, cross stitching, crocheting, and was especially proud to bead the lace for her daughter’s and four of her niece’s wedding dresses. She got much enjoyment from spoiling all of her grandchildren when she babysat them.
Linda died on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at Elm Crest Retirement Home in Harlan, Iowa, having attained the age of sixty-five years, nine months, and twelve days. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother-in-law Alvin Eshelman.
She is survived by her best friend and husband of forty-five years Marcus Kaufman of Earling, Iowa; daughter Michelle and her husband Greg Alter of Sergent Bluff, Iowa; son Mark Kaufman of Harlan, Iowa; ten grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; brother Larry Majerus and his wife Rosalee of Spout Spring, Virginia; sisters: Lois and her husband Jerry Nelson of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Sharon Eshelman of Harrington, Delaware, Donna and her husband Gary Brown of Carroll, Iowa, Karen and her husband Rick Card of Des Moines, Iowa, Barbara and her husband Bill Petersen of Exira, Iowa, Bev and her husband Bill Jensen of Harlan, and Toni and her husband Doug Goecke of Harlan; other family members and many friends.