Linda Kay Treadway

Linda Kay Treadway, 74, of Marshall, IL, passed away on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at Signature Rehab in Terre Haute, IN. From the very beginning, Linda’s life was marked by both hardship and resilience. Born on November 20, 1950, in West Union, IL, she lost her younger brother to illness, and her upbringing carried hardships that taught her how to endure with grace. Yet even in those early years, she discovered joy in the simple things, especially time spent at her grandfather’s farm, where she learned that hard work and laughter could carry a person through. By the time she was fifteen, Linda was already working, waitressing at local cafés before spending years at the L & K Restaurant. Later, she put in more than a decade at Charles Industries before health problems cut her career short. Work was always in her bones, though, and she still found herself behind the wheel of a tractor or tending livestock on her dear friend Rhonda’s farm. She had a way of looking after people, too, especially her elderly neighbors, who knew they could count on her.

Linda faced more than her share of pain. A surgery at 42 led to a cascade of medical complications that changed the course of her life. She endured countless procedures, years of setbacks, and the lingering grief of losing her son, Gary. Yet through it all, she carried the weight of these struggles with grit and grace, refusing to let go of her pursuit of joy. She loved to travel and to collect as many memories as she did things. She took her mom to Las Vegas, toured Graceland with Rhonda, and together, the friends laughed their way through trips to Branson and Little Nashville. Music wasn’t just something she listened to; it was something she lived. On the dance floor, she was in her element: a fantastic two-stepper, a graceful line dancer, and at heart, a woman who simply loved to move. But for all her movement, she never rushed past people. Linda noticed them. She saw details others overlooked, offered a smile that could brighten a room, and had a way of drawing people close. Even her pets felt her warmth. Her beloved black cat, Blackie, was her constant companion, spoiled and tamed only by her.

Her love for children shone brightest each Halloween, when she transformed her yard into a spectacle. Speakers played, decorations covered the lawn, and Linda herself dressed in costume, ready to greet the trick-or-treaters. She wanted every child who knocked on her door to experience the joy of the season, and she made sure they left not just with candy but with a smile. For her, it wasn’t just a holiday; it was another way of showing love...and, yes, a reason to decorate! She had an eye for beauty, a flair for detail, and could have been a decorator by trade. Whether it was Christmas décor, carefully chosen dishes, or a new find from one of her many shopping trips, Linda delighted in making her surroundings shine.

And she took the same pride in herself. She never stepped out the door without her hair styled and her makeup on, because for Linda, looking her best was part of feeling her best. Mary Kay compacts filled her drawers, Avon orders stacked her shelves, and yet what people noticed most was not the products she wore but the confidence she carried. She was a woman of class who wore her smile as her finest accessory, and she kept it even when life gave her every reason not to. But here at last, she has laid her burdens down. The pain that followed her for so many years has ended, and she is at peace. Yet, she will not be remembered for the struggles she endured, but for the love, joy, and beauty she brought into this world.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Emery Gordon Graham and Mary (Williamson) Graham; by her brother, Larry Lee Graham; by her sister, Mary Jane Wilson; and by her son, Gary Lee Treadway. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Tina and James Sanders; by two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; by her sisters, Jean Campbell (and her husband, Jim), and Joan Higgins; by several nieces and nephews; and by her best friend of 33 years, Rhonda Sweitzer.

A private family service will be held at the Prust-Hosch Funeral Home in West Union, with burial in the Bradbury Cemetery.