LINDA MIRT

LINDA MIRT Linda Jeanne Nease Mirt passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at the age of 73. She was born in Lynn, Massachusetts to Jesse and Kathryn (Knechtel) Nease. Linda spent her childhood and formative years following her father, mother, and brother up and down the east coast, as Jesse, her dad, was putting together a forty-year career with General Electric. She went to high school in Waynesboro, Virginia where their school mascot was known as the "Little Giants." When it came to going to college, she wanted to be like her mother, so she enrolled at Kansas State University in Kansas to become a home economics teacher. Her father and mother were both from small towns in Kansas. Jamestown and Larned respectively. They both attended K-State and met while Jesse was tutoring Kay in statistics. Jesse was recruited by General Electric right off the K-State campus just before World War II broke out. So, they moved him to the east coast to Lynn, Massachusetts as his first assignment. Linda graduated from K-State with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics. She then went to work for Stouffers Inns and Restaurants as an Assistant Director of Food Management in Cleveland, Ohio. Linda often told the story of mixing salad dressing while watching the Cleveland Browns play football quite a few stories below them in the old stadium. She then decided to pursue a master's degree in Extension Education at Penn State. This was because her folks had moved to Erie, Pennsylvania by then finishing up Jesse's career. She remained a diehard Penn State football fan her entire adult life, along with K-State of course. Linda graduated from Penn State in 1975 and accepted a position as County Extension Agent Home Economist on January 1, 1976, clear back in Sumner County, Kansas. Wellington, Kansas to be exact. She remarked that Gene Heasty was on the board at the time they hired her. All the way from the Penn State campus. She held that position for forty years. The title changed to Family and Consumer Science agent. Then, in the early 90's, due to budget cuts they made the 4-H position a shared position between the Ag Agent and the Home Economics Agent. At the end she was doing 80% of the 4-H work, all the FCS work, and was the county extension director. Linda met the love of her life, Timothy, while meeting on the front porch to see what the commotion was about. They were apartment neighbors and had both came out to see the Christian Church was caroling. It was for Linda, as Rosie Bernard had arranged the First Christian kids to come by and carol her. Linda and Tim were married 37 years and had two adorable, loving children. Linda was a daughter to Jesse and Kay, sister to her surviving brother, David; loving wife to Timothy; loving mother to her two children: daughter, Jessica Smith and her husband Justin, and son, Troy Mirt; and extremely loving grandmother to her two grandsons: Canaan and Corinth. She will be sorely missed. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, with family present from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, in the chapel of Cornejo Funeral Home, 1030 Mission Road, Wellington, Kansas. Interment will follow at Prairie Lawn Cemetery, Wellington, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be given in her memory to the Sumner County 4-H Development Fund. Contributions can be mailed or left with the funeral home. Share a memory, leave condolences, or sign hertribute wall at www.cornejofuneralhome.com. Arrangements by Cornejo Funeral Home + Crematory, 1030 Mission Road, Wellington, Kansas.