Linda Sheryl Denny-Ward, 63, of Birch Tree, Missouri, passed on December 07, 2022. Linda was born on October 23, 1959, in Kansas City Missouri.

She was the only daughter of Carl Franklin Ward, of Lebanon Oregon, and Barbara Gale Johnson-Ward-Lusso. Both preceeded her in death.

She was raised and grew up in Kansas City under her mother's care, seldom having been able to spend much time with her father, after her parents divorced.

She always looked forward to hearing his voice and talking with him from time to time throughout her childhood. She felt close to him, and loved him whole heartedly, no matter the distance between them.

Linda's Mother remarried when she was 3 or 4 years old, bringing into the household and family mix, Robert Ray Lusso of Kansas City. He was a lieutenant with the Kansas City Fire Department, and soon after the marriage, became a living nightmare, who terrorized linda, on those days off from his civil duties, where She was victimized by his constant and unrelenting sexual abuse of her. He would continue to subject her to this type of abuse until the age of 13.

She feared him, in every way, and he would tell her that if she told a soul he would surely kill her whole family,and her as well. she had known him on multiple occasions to be impudent with her mother, further frustrating him, fueling the sickness that would cause him to creep up the stairs and into her room at night.

She would not understand for years how there was never anyone around when he was perpetrating these vile acts upon her.

Robert Ray Lusso would eventually die at home at the approximate age of 40, from a heart attack. To linda, God had done her a kindness, hearing her cries over the years, as she would beg him to make it stop.

She would later find out that her entire Lusso family had gotten together to discuss what he was and had been doing to linda for so long, and conversed over the issue at length, ultimately they all voted to do nothing, as they felt it better to not intervene .

She couldn't understand how everyone in her household knew the evils of what he was doing to her, we're conveniently never around, or accidently caught him in the acts, save for the one time her mother Barbara caught him in the act, and did nothing to stop him, choosing to turn and walk away without a word.

A mother whom had gifted her over to a pedophile and child rapist, and three brothers who are rewarded with the $100 allowances to look the other way. She was trapped in a hell that she could not escape because of him, and her family did nothing, choosing to stay out of it, to look the other way, to ignore the obvious sickness of Robert Ray Lusso.

His eventual death was a blessing to linda as God had heard her and answered her. On that day, the day of his funeral, she did cry, so very hard. But not because this sick sad Step-father she feared had died, rather she cried because she was finally free from him and those twisted evil things he had done to her for so long. She cried because he would never be able to hurt her again.

He was gone, but what he had done left her damaged, and broken in more ways than she even knew, and as her life progressed and she moved forward she would find that those nightmares lived, we're impossible to forget. And she was damaged. Her mind still a prisoner to his torture, her pain unrelenting and all the years that would come and go, we're no match for how fresh and painful his actions still were to her.

Randy Gale Ward, Richard Ward, Craig Ward, her three brothers, "Where we're you" she would ask herself, ''where were you when he was raping me."

As time passed, she learned how to live with her pain and shame. She would eventually go on to graduate from Lee's Summit high school, in Lee's Summit Missouri, and worked for Sears/Kmart as a retail Sales Associate for 24 years.

She married 3 times over the years, and was divorced 3 times as well. She did not have any children of her own, and honestly couldn't bare the thought of bringing children into its world, knowing that they could be hurt, or victimized by someone, as she was. She did not want her children to go through what she did.

She eventually met the Person and love of her life that she knew she was meant to be with, Kyle Spencer Denny, of Birch Tree Missouri, and Formally Kansas City.

They would have many struggles during their 14 years together, facing the world side by side, taking care of one another, and no matter the obstacles, together they would overcome them.

She was happy for once in her life.she finally found someone, and somewhere, where she was safe. She could be herself. She could talk to him about those things she had buried so deep inside. She could begin to heal, and she could see past her pain into a future of happier days, with someone who could make her smile and laugh, someone who believed in her, always.

She passed away sadly on the morning of December 7th, at 4:40am. Death was immediate. The cause was due to a massive heart attack. Multiple life saving measures and techniques we employed, but she was unresponsive.

Her time had come. God called her home. And she left this world behind, and all the cruel things it had held for her. She knew and she believed God would clense her of her pain, and she would have closure, that she would finally be at peace with herself, with the world, and with her life.

Her death came too soon, at the age of 63, but she was happy in her life, and relationship, and loved Living in Birch Tree, where she had 14 acres of privacy and protection from the world, someone who loved her dearly, and a house they were building, to keep them busy. She smiled and laughed everyday.

She had found herself. More so than any other time in her life. She was discovering new things about herself everyday, and she was healing from her life's pains.

There was hope. Again. She always kept hope close, through the worst of things. Hope, and faith. These two things kept her stong, they gave her a way to continue on. And she no longer let her pain, or her past have control over her or her life. She controlled her life, and her final days were happy and joyful .

She left this world ,with her love and happiness, with her pride intact, her chin up, knowing her father would be there in heaven with her.

She went with love in her heart, and forgiveness for those that caused her so much harm in her life.

She was loved. She is missed. Deeply. Truely. Each and every day. We remember you, and you cannot Truely die, when you have touched the lives and the hearts of so many, and been so very kind, and given so much, you will always live on in our hearts and minds,through our thoughts, and every memory, we see you in everything we do and feel, and you make your presence known, in the little things now. We see you. Feel You. And love you more than words can express.

Saying you are missed would be an understatement,in every way.

Rest easy now, and soak up the eternal love and bliss in the heavens, and know that we will be together again, one day soon.

Your memory will live on, and never fade. Your love fills my heart and gives me strength. May God bless you and keep you. Forever.