Linda Kay Hicks entered eternal life at the age of 73 early Friday morning, November 22, 2019, at her home in Wichita, Kansas after a battle with liver disease. Linda was born in Hays, Kansas to Harlan and Emma (Zachmann) Hicks, loving mother of three children.
Linda received her bachelor’s degree in Art Education in 1968 from Colorado State in Greeley, Colorado. Linda grew up in Western Kansas where her family ran local “hamburger joints”, which were most known for her mother’s homemade pies. In 1961 they moved to Denver, Colorado and settled in the Wheatridge area along with other aunts and uncles.
In 1969 she married Dean Dietz and moved from Colorado back to Kansas. She raised her three girls on great home cooking, while dabbling in crafts, serving others and always opening her home in hospitality. She earned her second bachelor’s degree in Social Work in 1994 at Wichita State University and worked as a LBSW for over ten years in foster care, family preservation, and aging. Uniting this with her art skills she created an Art-X-Press program to counsel children and the elderly. Her main passion was pottery and she was eventually able to go full time with Cat’s Paw Pottery where she saw such successes as being featured on Martha Stewart, at Silver Dollar City, and with Joyce Meyer Ministries Dream Center.
Linda combined her slab pottery skills and love for serving the Lord by creating and donating handcrafted items for organizations to use as well as giving pottery wheel demonstrations to teachings that we are all jars of clay in the divine Potter’s hand. Linda grew up writing poems, drawing and painting. She had a love for gardening and cooking, but one of her favorite things was watching the birds and she always ensured they had plenty of seed to eat. Linda has always loved furry creatures. Her most beloved memory was bottle feeding and hand raising a full litter of kittens.
Linda was preceded in death by her mother, Emma, her father, Harlan, and her daughter, Krista. She is survived by two children, Erin Dietz (Texas) and Shannon Dietz (Kansas), two grandchildren, Chase Sheydaei (Colorado) and Ava Fagan (Kansas), beloved cousins, and many exchange students around the world.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2020, come and go from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm at Mud Haus, 922 East Douglas Avenue, Wichita, Kansas 67202. Linda was laid to rest at the WaKeeney City Cemetery in WaKeeney, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers Memorial donations may be made to LAPP, Lifeline Animal Placement & Protection.org where she volunteered her time. Or the family welcomes donations toward a carved granite cat being commissioned to sit on the bench at her gravesite. Contributions may be sent to Erin Dietz.
Linda’s favorite blessing which was often printed, laminated, and given out to friends was Numbers 6: 24-26, “May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at [email protected]. Services entrusted to Brock's-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory of Hays.