Linda Gale Parten Keith

My aunt is one of the toughest women I know…Linda Gale (Parten) Keith; born and raised in Waxahachie. She has always been the epitome of the word strong, even when she did not necessarily want to or feel like it, her work ethic has always been top notch; you never had to worry about if she was going to do a good job because she has always given %110…she worked at one of the largest banks in the country for over 30 years enduring name changes and mergers; retiring as a senior VP from Bank of America. I have never known her not to work, even after retirement she worked at Cato part-time. But then she found her true calling and that was teaching the 2-year-old class at Funday School at First Methodist Church and the 2-year-old class at First Christian Church, as well as watch the nursery on Sundays.

15 years ago, she was assaulted in her home in the middle of the night by an intruder who beat her with a lead pipe, she suffered a huge gash in her forehead, 2 broke arms, both her hands and a few fingers, this happened while her grandsons who were spending the night with her watched (then ages 10 and 5)…she fought off an attacker because she was determined not to let her grandsons get injured. They are alive today because she was stronger than the evil that tried to take her down.  

Gale’s family is her pride and joy, she has one daughter, Stacey and her son-in-law Drew,  2 grandsons, Brandt and Blake who are the light of her life…she talks of them all the time, always so proud of their accomplishments. Devin, who is Brandt’s fiancé and also works with her at First Christian Day School, and 2 step-granddaughters Harper and Hadley. Their family is a tight-knit one, they stand together through any and everything, and now they are pulling together to get through the toughest challenge ever…recently without any warning or out of the ordinary signs she has been recently diagnosed with cancer, it was first found in her spine and lesions on her liver, after other scans and test it was discovered it was in her lower GI tract and considered to have Bile Duct Cancer/Stomach Cancer, unfortunately its already in stage 4 and she has decided for palliative care at home.

Being a teacher for a private school she doesn’t get paid through the summer and because of her condition she obviously won’t be able to work the summer session at Funday, so, no work, no pay. She does have insurance and SS but she lives on a budgeted income. Her family did not expect to have to be going through this, nor does anyone…. EVER. We wanted to help ease the financial burden as best we could, and it took a lot of prodding to convince them to let us do this, they are not only a close knit family, but a proud one and did not want to seem weak or destitute but in reality everyone needs a little help now and then and they have always been the type of people who would help anyone with anything at any time.

Lavonne and I have spent numerous hours that turned into days and even weeks at Gale’s house throughout the years…Lavonne and Stacey (Gale’s daughter/my cousin) have been best friends since 2nd grade… Gale even grounded Lavonne once for being a mischievous teenager.  We never could get much past her! She is like a 2nd mom to us both and it breaks our heart to see her in this unexpected chapter of life.  Please help us help them.