Anita Lafunn Gardner

Anita (Michaila) Gardner was born to Robert Thompson and Thelma ("Matushka" Michaila) Altschul in Texarkana, Arkansas on August 27,1959. She was the oldest daughter of 6 brothers and sisters. Shortly after her birth, she left Texarkana with her father, mother, and family to move to Kansas City, MO where she lived the rest of her life. Anita (Michaila) loved laughing, telling stories, reading fiction books, watching action movies (especially Kung Fu), listening to R&B and gospel music, the color purple, the Orthodox Church, and, especially, her family. Her greatest joys were being surrounded by her adoring great-grandchildren, whether going to the park together or crawling into bed to watch TV. She met her husband Roosevelt in the late 1970s. Together, they filled each other with laughter and fun, and they married on August 12, 1979. They loved going to the boat, playing cards and dominoes, and eating. While they never could agree whose rice was better (Nita’s sweet rice or Rosie’s salty rice), they never disputed one thing: Nita was “the big cheese!” - everyone in the family knew that! Anita (Michaila) went to Lincoln High School (class of 1971) and completed business studies at Penn Valley Community College in 1982. She worked at several employers, most recently for H&R Block where she was a tax specialist. Ultimately Anita (Michaila) followed a similar religious path as her dear mother, Thelma ("Matushka" Michaila) Altschul. She was baptized by Father Justin Mathews at St Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church, where she regularly attended church, and visited Holy Archangel Michael Skete in Weatherby, MO. Anita (Michaila) leaves behind her daughter: Elanda Crenshaw; her sons: Robert Lee Thompson and Roosevelt Thompson (and his wife LaVonda); her father-in-law: Father Alexii (David) Altschul; her brother: Robert Thompson, Jr.; her stepbrothers: Nathan and Michael Altschul; her aunts: Roberta Henderson, Ruby Strickland, and Emma Beaver; her grandchildren: Robert Lee Thompson III (and Shantri), Adriana L. Withers, Amber D. Withers, Cortez L. Withers, Donald Ray Withers, Lynette M. Thompson, Dreshawn Patton, Jasmina Washington, Katisha Timely, Roosevelt D. Thompson Jr., Roosevelt D. Thompson V, Aisha Thompson, Danisha Thompson, Lakia Thompson, D-borah Davis; her great-grandchildren: Cartier, Amiyah, Amilian, Sincere, Wizdom, Amari, Ka-maya, Ja-vonne, Aniya, August, Nayeli, Dominic, DaVory, Eliza, Rahim, TayShawn, Makhai, Landon; her nieces and nephews: Henry Kidd IV, Jimmy Gullatt, Robertt Lewis, Rasheed Hurd, Robert Thompson, III, Cherlyn Thompson, Sherry Ray, Khianti Ray; her friends Latasha Jenkins, Heather Copling Photine, Arita Damroze and Sofia Frazier; her dear cousin Janice Thompson; and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. She has been preceded in death by her sister Cherlyn L. Kidd; her brothers John Beaver, Wayne Gullatt, Lonnie Ray Thompson; her mother Thelma ("Matushka" Michaila) Altschul; her father Robert Thompson; her uncles Luther Charles Beaver, Tommy Lee Beaver, Sonny Beaver, George Beaver, Jr.; her granddaughter Renita Thompson; her maternal grandmother Lula Tucker; her maternal grandfather George Beaver; her maternal great-grandmother Nettie Tucker; her maternal great-grandfather Willie Tucker; her maternal great-great-grandmother Miss May Ella Tucker; her maternal great-great-grandfather Forest Tucker; and her paternal great-grandmother Miss Melissa Hogan.