Lynda Sue Harder

Ava, Missouri

Lynda Sue (Savage) Harder, 65 years, 2 months, and 18 days old, passed from this life on Monday, May 6, 2024 at the home she shared with her husband of 45 years, Ronald D. Harder, Jr., son, Craig and grandson, Christopher Harder at Ava, Missouri. Also left to honor her memory are son, Dean and Cressa Harder and grandchildren, Jude and Alexa Grace Harder and Landon Miley, Odessa, Missouri.

Lynda was born February 19, 1959 in Coffeyville, Kansas to Freddy Eugene    and Lilly Sue (Wilson) Savage.  She and her teenage parents raised each other, and soon she was joined by little sister, Becky and brother, Fredrick. Later, as an adult, she gained a stepmom, Barbee and baby sisters, Jessica and Katy Savage.  Even later in life, she was blessed with grandchildren and was so happy to have another chance to actively help raise a new generation.

She attended schools in Wichita, Kansas and Shawnee, Oklahoma, as well as Longfellow, Garfield, McKinley, Roosevelt and Field Kindley in Coffeyville.

Lynda worked at Coffeyville Regional Medical Center before starting work at Emerson Electric in Independence, Kansas, where she met the love of her life, Ron.  They married in Independence, Kansas on August 19, 1978 and lived there for a few years, during which time she worked at Mercy Hospital.  Over the next several years, they lived in Wann, Oklahoma, Coffeyville, and Indian Village before moving to Ava in 2001.

During the early years of marriage, she worked in healthcare jobs before she lovingly began providing child care for her baby sisters, along with the couple's own two young sons.  When the family relocated to Missouri, Lynda was a stay at home mom, but always stayed active, caring for their home, family, many pets and volunteering. She was always willing to help anyone who needed it.

Many from Coffeyville and Ava may remember Lynda for her dedication to her sons.  Dean and Craig played a variety of sports and she made sure they finished whatever they set their minds to do.  She relished the many opportunities to see them succeed and to celebrate their achievements.  She had many creative interests from designing and building elaborate Halloween costumes, or making beautiful home décor displays, to Christmas decorations to rival the expensive store bought ones but using things she made or repurposed.  Lynda always had great gardens, house plants and landscaped yards.  When her grandfather, who loved growing tomatoes died, she planted tomatoes on his grave and tended them all that summer.  She planted with a purpose, tomatoes for Grandpa Earl's grave, special bushes and flowers for the hummingbirds.  She was always thinking of ways to improve.  She loved animals, cardinals, hummingbirds, ducks, pot-belly pigs, billy goats, dogs from Dobermans, to Pugs, to Mini-pins, to English Bulldogs and cats.  Nothing was out of reach for her.  Most of all, she loved time spent with family whether holidays, campouts, trips to Mexico, or Branson, she was all in.  We miss her already.

Surviving family includes husband Ron Harder, son Craig, and grandson Christopher Harder all of Ava, Missouri; son Dean and Cressa Harder, grandsons Jude and Landon, and granddaughter Alexa Grace of Odessa, Missouri; father and stepmother Freddy and Barbee Savage of Ottawa, Kansas, brother and sister in law Fredrick and Elysia Savage of Monett, Missouri; sisters Jessica Savage, Kathryn Savage and fiancé Kendall Thompkins, all of Ottawa, Kansas.  She is also survived by 7 nieces and nephews and 2 great nephews.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Sue (Wilson, Savage) Trieble; grandparents, Maxine and Earl Wright Sr., Fredrick A. Savage, Edward and Elizabeth Wilson; her sister Becky Savage and a close uncle Earl Wright Jr.

Cremation services for Lynda were conducted by Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Ava, MO. Online condolences may be made to www.clinkingbeardfuneralhome.com.