Linda Daugherty Cosper

Linda Lynn Daugherty Cosper lived a life defined by faith in action, joyful determination, creativity, humor, and an unwavering love for people. She passed away peacefully at home in her sleep on January 26, 2026, at the age of 83.

Born on May 20, 1942, in Texarkana, Texas, Linda shaped every space she entered through service, imagination, and wholehearted commitment.

Born Myrtle Lynn Daugherty, she chose the name Linda Lynn—an early reflection of her independence and clarity about who she was. Raised in a military family, she spent parts of her childhood in Tucson, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, before her family settled in Killeen, Texas. Her father served in the Army Air Corps, later the United States Air Force, and Linda proudly kept the telegram sent overseas during World War II announcing her birth.

Linda graduated from Killeen High School in 1960, where she excelled academically and was frequently asked to tutor classmates and younger students. While academics came easily to her, her great passion was roller skating. She became a star performer in skating shows at the local skating rink, mastering ballroom-style skating with discipline and grace. Her mother lovingly made her skating costumes, many of which Linda carefully saved for years.

As a young woman, Linda demonstrated remarkable courage and resilience when she returned home from Germany alone with her infant daughter. Traveling by ship, train, bus, and taxi, she arrived unexpectedly at her parents’ doorstep with a suitcase and her baby, where they were welcomed with joy, love, and open arms.

On November 1, 1963, Linda married Charles Don Cosper, a devoted family man from a long-established Killeen farming family. They began their marriage with very little, briefly living in a small shack before building their first home themselves with the help of family. Linda’s determination and humor showed early—most memorably when she moved into their unfinished home, garage and all, to surprise her husband.

Linda devoted herself wholeheartedly to raising her four children. She believed deeply that her children could do anything they put their minds to, and she backed that belief with constant action. She shuttled her children—and many others—to choir practice, tennis lessons and tournaments across the state, Brownies, Girl Scouts, skating rinks, band, piano lessons, school activities, and friends’ homes. Opportunity mattered to Linda, and she made sure it was available.

She created unforgettable celebrations and gatherings: elaborate birthday parties with horse rides, tractor rides, hay rides, piñatas, pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, bonfires, and games; and extended family days in the lower pasture filled with cooking out, softball, Tripoli, laughter, and togetherness. Her home was always open and full of life. She was a second mother to many and a steady, loving presence in countless lives.

Linda’s leadership and organizational talents shaped her community. She served as a homeroom teacher, Brownie leader, and Girl Scout leader, creating active, imaginative experiences—never just sitting at a table and coloring. She organized Girl Scout cookie sales that achieved the highest totals in the state. As a PTA officer, she designed creative membership campaigns that dramatically increased participation, earning statewide awards. One such campaign featured a handmade paper-mâché banana costume—worn even by the school principal—which became legendary.

Her ability to organize people for good extended even further. Linda coordinated massive door-to-door fundraising campaigns for the March of Dimes, covering large portions of Killeen and setting fundraising records. She later founded and operated a tennis, soccer, and running store that evolved into a custom T-shirt business offering racket stringing, apparel, and equipment.

Linda’s compassion took form in the Teddy Bear Ministry, which she founded to bring comfort to nursing home residents. She made personalized teddy bears with shirts reading “God loves [name]” and even created a full-size bear costume so her daughter Kimberly could sing and visit residents. The ministry received significant recognition and was featured multiple times on local television news programs.

Adventure delighted Linda, especially celebrating her birthdays at the Grand Canyon. She hiked to the canyon floor, camped with family, and on one birthday insisted on hiking to the bottom and back up in a single day. Beginning before dawn, she and her family touched the Colorado River, then climbed through heat, darkness, moonlight, and cold—navigating carefully with a single flashlight and a half moon. After twenty-two hours, they reached the rim exhausted and triumphant.

What mattered most to Linda was sharing the experience. Along the trail, she handed out candy to fellow hikers—eventually settling on tootsie rolls—and invited strangers to celebrate her birthday with her. She became known as “the birthday lady,” with hikers from many countries singing “Happy Birthday” in their own languages. These adventures were later shared through a Facebook page affectionately titled *The Grand Canyon Grandma and the Tootsie Roll Trail*.

Linda loved to dance. She was a member of the Granny Dancers, taught line dancing at several venues in Killeen, and joyfully led line dances at Night of the Arts events, bringing people together through movement, laughter, and shared joy.

She also loved playing Canasta. Linda taught countless people how to play, including caregivers during rehab stays, and even when her eyesight was failing, she could still outplay the rest of us—often winning games while barely able to see the cards.

Linda became a beloved presence at Austintatious Toastmasters, serving as the club mom. She attended weekly meetings without fail, always bringing a homemade snack. When called on for Table Topics, she was consistently funny, charming, and often the weekly winner. At the end of her daughter Donna’s term as club president, the club affectionately presented its gift of appreciation to Linda instead.

A lifelong Christian, Linda sought to live her faith through compassion, service, and care for others. In her later years, she found a spiritual home at First United Methodist Church of Killeen. Guided by her values, she believed strongly in helping the poor and underprivileged and served as a delegate to the Texas state convention in 1996. She stayed informed about world events and hoped always to see conflicts resolved peacefully.

Linda was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Don Cosper; her daughter, Kimberly Dawn Cosper; her sister, Jeannie Williams; and her parents, C.W. and Lynn Daugherty.

She is survived by her daughters, Debbie (Scott) Kinzel, Vicki Wilson, and Donna Cosper; her grandsons, Braedon Avants, Jacob, Jonathan, and Jackson Wilson; her granddaughters, Emma and Sarah Kinzel; and her beloved dogs, Daisy and Joy.

Linda’s legacy lives on in the countless people she encouraged, organized, taught, loved, and inspired—and in the joy she brought simply by showing up fully, every time.

Visitation will be held on Friday, January 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen, Texas. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Killeen. A reception will follow the memorial service and will include a New Orleans–style second line and line dancing, in joyful celebration of Linda’s life.

The family invites memorial contributions to First United Methodist Church of Killeen or The Salvation Army, communities that reflected Linda’s faith, values, and love of service.