Linda Darlene McManus

Linda Darlene McManus was born on October 13, 1949 to Elzie and Ruby Wray in Harrisburg, Oregon. She grew up in the Halsey area. Being the second to youngest of eight children she had many older siblings to dote on her. Her oldest brother Dave would send her letters and gifts while he was away in the army.

Linda married Mike McManus on November 19, 1966, and they had 6 children, Marshall, Mark, Michelle, Michael, Monte, and Matthew. She raised her family in the Halsey area, with some years in Portland, Sacramento, and Alturas. She was a strong and loving mother, always doing her best in raising her children, taking them to church and teaching them the faith; she instilled in them her strong work ethic and heart for helping others. As her children grew and married so did her heart for their spouses, and their families. With Michelle being her only daughter Linda often referred to Brian as her “favorite son-in-law".

Linda was baptized into the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn in March of 1969. She always had a strong faith in God. She prayed daily for her children that God would watch over them, and her grandchildren. She loved having brethren in her home and traveling to visit brethren from all over. Being in church meeting and going to the annual church campout was something she looked forward to all year.

Linda had a great love for people, surrounding herself and wanting to be gathered with others, whether it be a Wray family reunion, Christmas party which she loved to help plan, a church event, or an event in the community. She could always be found working in the kitchen and helping others or playing with the children. Despite not learning to drive until her forties, that never kept Linda from gathering with her loved ones. She had a givers heart and was always thinking of others.

Throughout the years she cared for many children in the neighborhood, worked in childcare and loved to babysit her grandchildren and the brethren's children; always loving to be with kids, caring for and teaching them. When Linda retired in 2015, she was excited to have more freedom with her time. She then filled her days spoiling her grandchildren, traveling, working in her backyard garden and the community garden, and volunteering her time at the local food bank, gleaners, Sharing Hands thrift store, and the summer reading program at the library.

Her grandchildren were her life, Linda loved being a grandma most of all. Together they would go shopping, read books, have sleepovers, make cookies, and look at old pictures together. In the summer she would gather the children to pick berries and make jams together. Her grand-mothering didn’t stop with her own, she was Grandma Linda to all the children who knew her. As the grandchildren began having children of their own, she wanted the great-grandchildren to call her “Grandma Great”.

Linda passed from this life on Wednesday March 22, 2023, in her home in Brownsville, Or at the age of 73.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents Elzie and Ruby Wray; sister Verla Boyles; brother Albert Wray; daughter-in-law Kim McManus; and great-granddaughter Natalie Rose Shamburg.

Linda is survived by her children Marshall and wife Connie McManus of Brownsville, Or., Mark and wife Cherie McManus of Carlton, Wa., Michelle and husband Brian Gray of Brewster, Wa., Michael and wife Kimberly McManus of Day, Or.,Monte and wife Stacy McManus of Cushing, Ok., Matthew and wife Tisha of Banks, Or.; siblings Dave Wray of Eugene, Or., Shirley Macal and husband Eddie of Iowa, Lyman and wife Faye Wray of Sweet Home, Or., Geraldine Zemp of Eugene, Or., and Glenda and husband Rick Foshee of Halsey, Or.; husband Mike McManus of Soldotna, AK;sister-in-law Shirley Beaver of Lincon City, Or.; and brother-in-law Raymond McManus of California. Grandma Linda will be greatly missed by her 29 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren, and many cousins, nieces and nephews, friends, and brethren near and far.

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