To my darling wife Linda,

It has been over a year, and you are still thought of and missed every single day.  It has been difficult adjusting to life without you, not just for me but for our children Robert and Andrea, our grandchildren Andrew, Jay, Jared, Aiden, Matthew, and Megan, your brother Jim and wife Debra, and so many other family members and friends who knew and loved you.

We spent so many wonderful years together, shared so many happy (plus a few not so) experiences, and met life's challenges together as a couple.  It is hard for me to express, even after a year without you, my appreciation for your constant love and support throughout our marriage.  It is also difficult to express adequately my admiration for you as a person...your total honesty and sincerity, your consideration for others, your commitment to family and friends, your contribution to the lives of so many children through teaching, your love of life and its adventures, and your unbreakable faith in God.

My sense of loss continues, but thankfully the grief is slowly but surely being replaced with warm memories.  I want you to know that you have left all of us who have known you with a priceless gift, that being a fine example of how to spend our precious time on this Earth.  I consider myself amazingly blessed to have been your husband for 49 years!

My love forever,
Bob

Mom and Dad were on vacation with Paul and I in Palm Springs, CA at a time when her health was beginning to slip.  Mom decided to take a walk on the wild side for her, so she and Dad rented a convertible and showed up at our vacation home with the top down and Mom wearing a Pink Hat.  She was ready to cut loose and have a fun week of vacation in Southern California.  She wore the hat throughout the trip and rode around with the top down for much of it.

As I was spending time with Mom during her final days I found out she told this story to her caregiver, Myra.  Myra said, I know about that Pink Hat. She went to Linda's closet to retrieve it and told Robert that many times when they would go out for a walk, Linda would ask for the Pink Hat.  

I am glad to know she held on to the fun memories from that trip and to have the pink hat now to remind me of my mom's sometimes hidden adventurous side.

Robert Williams

Remembrances of Linda:

From Randa (Dorsett) Gross:
(Andrea's childhood friend)
"I remember your mom always being so nice and helpful at Girl Scouts and the times I spent the night at your house, she always made me feel so welcome! She is such a great woman and an inspiration to all!!"
 
Melissa Mothershead Watson:
"I just remember your mom struggling to walk yet she made it to church!"
 
Wendie Nanninga Lawley:
"I loved her lessons at Gulf Coast Christian Youth Camp. She always held our attention and I can still hear her saying-"Metamorphosis!"
Prayers for you and your family during this time. Hugs!"
 
Debby Paulson:
"Since I have known her from birth - I could write a book on how wonderful - kind - loving - giving and nurturing she is and has always been.  I will share your request with my parents as they are long time friends/family."
 
David Medearis:
(Polly Ranch neighbor who lived behind us, and was friends with Robert)
"Very sorry to hear about your mom Andrea. I remember her well from when I was a kid and used to go to your house and play with Robert. Your parents were always really nice."

Katie Erickson Lee:
(Andrea's friend and our next door neighbor growing up)
"Andrea, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.  When I think of your mom, I remember brownie meetings, swim parties and her snacks.  She always had the best snacks at your house.  :) Big hug to you!"

Judith Godwin:
(Friendswood Junior High girls PE Coach)
"When I think of your Mom, I remember her smile. Sweet lady. Peace to all, in the days ahead."
 
Kristy Harrell Fisher:
(Andrea's friend)
"Many prayers for you and your family.  Your mom was always kind and gracious! She will be missed!"

Fawn (Jones) Fedora:
(Andrea's friend)
"Andrea, I'm so sorry for what you and your family are going through. I always loved being at your house. Your mom was so sweet and kind. Heaven is gaining a precious soul. Sending love to you"

Karen DeKanter:
"When I think of your Mother, I think of inner beauty and empowerment and how she inspired so many to live at a higher level."
 
Allison Ingram Hoefer:
(Robert and Andrea's friend)
"Prayers for peace and comfort for you, Robert, your dad, and the rest of your family Andrea."

May God grant you peace in this difficult time.  I don't have a particular story to tell but just wanted to say I was grateful to have known your mother.  Your parent's house was a beautiful welcoming place for Stephen and I enjoyed the many conversations I had with your mom and dad, sometimes staying much too long for Stephen's liking!  Your mom was a quiet person which might have been mistaken for impersonal by some.  But I got to see the subtle, humorous side of her and genuine love for her grandsons and friends - even if they did leave their shoes everywhere and the kitchen a mess (not for long though - she saw to that).  Your parents were exceptional role models for us as we start to transition roles from parents to grandparents (not for a few years please!).  I hope that you can wash away the last few years and remember your mom as the wonderful lady she was.
 
Love,
Robert

Aunt Linda was such a sweet woman who always made us feel so welcome at the family reunions in Friendswood.  I will never forget the hospitality that she showed towards everyone.  Nor will I ever forget the endless jigsaw puzzles that she would set up on the card table in the living room (wish we still lived in a time where jigsaw puzzles and board games were the norm versus tablets and phones).  We plan on being at Aunt Linda's memorial service Friday and will catch up then.
 
Love,
 
Stephen, Kadee, and Addison

When I would spend the night at the Williams, which was often... morning was always a treat.  Linda would get up early to start breakfast and it usually consisted of "Mini" Pancakes.  Size was always important.  If they were mini, they were specially made just for you by Linda.  She did that - she always made us feel special.  I still remember when she would come upstairs to tuck us in.  She would gently lean over and kiss her child on the forehead and then she would gently lean over me and kiss my forehead.  She always made me feel just as special as her kiddos, as if I was one of her own.  Bedtime kisses - I love them and because of Linda, I do the same with my kids and their friends.  I want their friends to feel loved and welcome just like Linda made me feel.


At Christmas she would make peanut brittle and hand deliver a container full to my dad.  She loved baking and was excellent at it.  There were always homemade goodies to share.  Every Christmas, she would bake gingerbread houses and would invite me down to help decorate them.  As kids, I think we put a few walls and sparkles on and then danced off to do something else.  She generously completed the houses for us with precision and skill.  They were always beautiful and I loved sitting there staring at them and pretending they were real.  Robert, Andrea and I would make up stories about which one was our home.  Then of course, we would bug her to eat them which they never tasted as good as they looked once they had sat out the whole month of December on the tables.  


She made every holiday special.  When we lived on Redway Lane right next store to each other in Clear Lake, I loved watching her make Halloween decorations.  She drew amazing pictures by hand and had them laminated for her walls.  I loved looking at them every year knowing she had created them.  She once taught us how to make ghosts with kleenex.  I think we had them hanging all over both of our houses.  I remember her making homemade playdough when we lived on Redway and if my memory is correct, I think Robert sampled, but I'm not sure how that all worked out the next day for him.  


If there wasn't a holiday, there was still arts and crafts to be had for all.  Being a teacher was definitely a perk for all the kids on the block.  


This is odd, but it's stuck with me all these years...I remember I used to love watching Linda fold clothes.  Her skills were amazing.  Everything was precise and neatly staked.  I'm sure when the kids were learning to fold, it drove them crazy, but I can tell you for a fact, if you look in Robert or Andrea's closets they inherited that precision and organization.  I tried it with my kids - it didn't go over very well.  Now neither child folds their cloths - I guess I should have hired Linda for training.  


I remember Robert and Andrea having rabbits when we lived in FWD.  They ended up not being the same sex and oops, Linda found bunnies that she had to rescue from the male.  She hand fed those babies day and night.  She was loving and nurturing like that.  


When Sara my daughter came into the world 4 months too early, Linda was so eager to visit her in the NICU that we snuck her in as a third grandmother.  The 4 months Sara was in the NICU, Linda prayed for her and checked in with me or my mother on her progress.  Sara touched Linda's heart and left her amazed by Gods Work.  She was very spiritual and it showed.  Linda has never forgotten Sara's birthday.  Even when she could no longer shop for her own card, one would still show up in the mail.  The Gerlachs were always an extension of her family.  This is just another example of how Linda made people feel special.


I think one of the best decisions the Williams made was to come along with us to Friendswood.  We have been so Blessed to have them in our lives for 47 years.  I know for a fact that the Gerlach's holidays were so much more fun because of the Williams.  We didn't have family in Texas, so Linda and Bob always invited our family to join theirs.  We were five more mouths to feed and five more chairs to fill the room up with, but she never blinked an eye.  We were also her family.  
 
Debby Paulson

Years apart have separated us physically but I will never, ever forget the kind, sweet person who is my sister-in-law, Linda Williams.  She epitomizes the beauty of a loving wife, mother, and friend to all who crosses her path.  She always showered her extended family with generous heaps of hospitality, getting up at 5:00 o'clock in the morning to make homemade biscuits and special breakfasts for the entire crew of the Williams family.  Reunions were her specialty and she always made sure that everyone was well fed and happy.  Linda is a special person whom we all love and will remember in our hearts always.

With fond memories and my love to you, Linda Gail

Linda K. DeOme

I'll never forget when we were kids and Aunt Linda welcomed me to the Friendswood house each summer. She would take Andrea & I to the library and let us each check out a stack of books, and make us her famous silver dollar pancakes every morning for breakfast. I remember her French onion dip & potato chips she set out on the kitchen table at every get-together. I remember her trays of peanut brittle every Christmas. I remember how much she loved Ruth & Jim (my Mimi & Papa) and was always so happy to see them. 
I remember her bringing a Scooby Doo puzzle to Carson at a family reunion because she knew Scooby was his favorite. But most of all, I remember the warm and kind woman she always was and the sweet smile she always had on her face.

I remember meeting Linda years ago when the Williams family came to Danville for a long awaited visit. As some in the family already know, Bobby use to stay with mama and daddy when he was little....my parents wanted to adopt him so much and talked to Aunt Frances about it. (mama and daddy were unable to have children) Of course that didn't happen. So Bobby continued to visit often... I remember so well when we met Linda for the first time on that fantastic visit. We all thought she was wonderful and Bobby had found his soul mate. I remember afterwards mama and daddy sitting down at the kitchen table and reflecting back on when Bobby stayed with them as a child and they had always wanted him to grow up and meet the perfect woman and he had found that woman in Linda!!! So kind, sweet, giving and the perfect match for their sweet Bobby.... Linda and I talked (and that's hard to do with all the Garrett family crowded around), and she was family from the moment we met. I do truly believe mama and daddy would have adopted her on the spot!!! I know she will be missed and she put up a courageous fight... though she never got back to Danville for another visit, we always referred to her as Bobby's SWEET LInda.  Our Hearts and Prayers are with you all...... Love Always, Cuz. Sue....... ps.... don't worry.... I know mama and daddy greeted Bobby's Sweet Linda the moment she arrived in Heaven!

This poem is for our Mimi!

God's Garden

God looked around his garden and found an empty space. 

Then he looked down upon our earth
and saw my Mimi's tired body.

He put his arms around Mimi 
and lifted her to rest in heaven.

Now God's garden is even more beautiful because of Mimi.   

We will Love You forever Mimi!

Love, Megan & Matthew Baez-Williams

Despite the circumstance, it was good seeing everyone on Friday. I was moved by Linda's ceremony and especially by the 4 acapella singers who were fantastic and by the sweet poem read by their granddaughter.  It was a great tribute to Linda and we will all miss her. I wanted to share these photos I took of our family. Hopefully we will be together again soon, maybe in Fredericksburg for a quick getaway later this fall.
Love,
Jerry & Rosemary

Mom always put us kids and all children first. She was brownie leader, camp counselor, Sunday School teacher, and she always had the best snacks according to my friends who have sent remembrances. Mom took me to NYC with a group of friends and their moms for my birthday when I turned 18. When Andrew was born in 1997 mom retired from teaching and life became all about the grandchildren. She loved being a MIMI.

The older 3 Silver Boys' Memories of mom were mostly about Mimi Camp. Each summer she and Dad would host them for a week one at a time and she would take them to Gattis, Space Center Houston, swimming in the back yard, and do crafts. For Aiden, he got to be with Mimi more and even helped us take care of her and made sure we were keeping an eye on her in her final weeks. Mom got to where she'd say, "all eyes on Linda" to whoever was supposed to be watching her.

Mom had a way of getting what she wanted, even without words. She was always full or love and good intention and enjoyed helping others. We heard countless stories the week she died about things she had done to help others in need from showing up on a Saturday to watch a dear friend's two daughters after her friend's husband had left her, to re-equipping her friend and housekeeper with all of her cleaning tools after hurricane Ike, and even posing as her housekeeper to get her signed up for FEMA after they had lost everything in the storm. We heard from her caregivers how usually within a couple months of starting work that Mom would tell them, "I'M YOUR BOSS," and she would tell Dad to leave to go swim or play golf as soon as they arrived each day. She treasured her time with them, and lifelong friendships with family, neighbors, colleagues. Although bedridden, Mom established meaningful relationships with her caregivers who would read her novels and scriptures, and she would have them take her out of the house to do yard work, walk the block in the wheelchair, or go on an adventure to buy Frosties from Wendy's or crepes from Ihop. Once she even left on her own to go visit with a neighbor and we had no idea where she was!

Linda was an amazing teacher who made sure that each child knew that he or she was loved by her. They all, in return, loved her as well. She had a way of making students feel special and valued as the unique individuals they were. That's what I remember most about Linda - her incredible heart and love for people.

When my husband left me with a 2 year old and a 3 month old, Linda was my biggest supporter and cheerleader. She frequently came down to my classroom and watched my students, so I could take care of some legal matters or even just take a little break for myself. She always seemed to know when I was struggling and then she would just appear. One day while at home, struggling with all the demands of maintaining a home and taking care of two small children, Linda just showed up on my doorstep and announced that she was taking the girls and would be back in a couple of hours. I was so relieved to be able to focus on the chores at hand and accomplished everything that needed to be done by the time she returned. When I thanked her, she just smiled that sweet smile of hers and hugged me and went on her way. This would happen time after time for many years.

Linda was my mentor, my spiritual guide, and my friend. When I think of her, I think of what Jesus told his disciples in John 15:12-13. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Linda was an example of living out this command. Great is her reward in heaven now!

Jan Lane

We were born in the 40's.  Our Dads and Moms raised us in west Texas towns.  They worked for oil companies.  We lived in small shot-gun houses.  We went to schools.  We went to colleges.  We got degrees.  We got jobs.  We had families.  We lost our parents, but our families still remain.
 
We had fun as families.  We did a lot of family things, holidays, vacations, reunions and most of all trips to Marlin, Texas (our Grandad's home).  We did those trips for several years.  We went in one car, 7 people, 3 aunts in the front, 4 cousins in the back!  With no air conditioner or space.  We still had lots of laughs.

Linda was the only girl in our immediate family of West Texas cousins.  She could do no wrong.  Being the only girl she had a step up on the rest of us.  She was a precious angel.

Linda was a Christian, teacher, wife, mother and grandmother.  She had so many characteristics, just a few: loving, cheerful, understanding, strong, and courageous.  Best of all, she always had a smile for you.

Well needless to say, Linda became that precious angel!  But her family still remains.



(Submitted Friday, June 24, 2016)

Our Granddaddy F.E. Swinnea was a character who never drove a car.  He was a renowned story teller.  In the Irish style he exaggerated a wee bit. 
One story that comes to mind is when Linda was a baby and having one of her first baths. Our granddaddy, F. E. Swinnea, was on hand. Upon his testing of the water, he said it's too damn hot! So from then on, he always said that he had saved her life. He had a special bond with hershe was the apple of his eyewhich was true for all of us who knew her.
Linda was the ultimate big sister and was the spokesperson for her and I. 
I can remember the first time we had pineapple juice. I truly expected her to know the answer to what is it, Linna? 
I think it was Linda's 8th birthday, Boots (Linda's and my Mom) and Aunt Mart (Boots' sister, our aunt) were preparing a special surprise party for Linda.  Uncle Johnnie brought back the cake from the bakery.  So Linda wouldn't recognize what he was carrying, he put it under his arm.  When the cake was unveiled, it had a large smushed part but the party went on.
Linda thought the smushed cake was funny and was just happy that her family always let her know how special she was and how loved she was.  She always enjoyed being with her family and strove to make family time special.

For their wedding, Bob and Linda had a very nice rehearsal breakfast--that Bob was late for! Linda's bridesmaids had composed a long poem the night before. One line of the poem read:  "The old-maid school teacher that you thought you would be, forever eating Cheetos and watching TV," Bob saved her from that fate. It was a beautiful wedding with most of the Shaw family in attendance--even Aunt Aileen. One more thing about the wedding--it was a beautiful wedding and an even more beautiful marriage.

Jim

Bob,
Nancy & I are sorry to hear about Linda. We'll keep all of you in our prayers. God bless all of you.
Jerry & Nancy Smith

Dear Family,

I am part of Linda's GATA family and also roomed with her and two others while teaching in Houston. I have good memories of late night bridge games, her very clean room and many European trip stories.  We reconnected at a reunion in Sterling City and it was so good to see her.  Linda never complained, always smiled and was so thankful for the care you gave her. She will be missed by all. My prayers are for your family.

Ann Chapple

Bob,   We are so sorry to hear of Linda's passing! Connie and I miss seeing the JSC Gang!  Take care of yourself, and if you get to Merritt Island, give us a call!

God Bless!

Chuck and Connie Shaw

To the family of Linda Gayle -- a most precious and beautiful lady and one of my all-time favorite people -- please know that I care very much about you and the sadness you have over the passing of this most wonderful lady.  I am confident that you all will take comfort in celebrating her life and remembering forever her loving and supportive ways that were so much a part of her character.  Although I have not visited with Miss Linda for too many years, I am filled with wonderful memories of her; but, I cannot escape the sadness I feel at this time.  I will admire her and miss her for all my remaining days.

God truly blessed me and my family with Linda, a faithful, compassionate, and loving longtime friend.  Her courage throughout her battle with Parkinson's was amazing and an inspiring example to all who knew her. As a faithful Christian, she is now at peace with the Lord.
Love and blessings to the family and friends who are suffering this loss.
Dianne

Linda was a blessing to all who knew her.   We are so sorry to hear of her passing. She has fought Parkinson's for many years.  May her peace be forever bountiful. Our love and condolences to Bob, Robert, Andrea and all their families. May the love of Christ surround you all.  Barbara and Harry Kolkhorst

OBITUARY

Linda Gayle Shaw Williams

24 March, 1942 – 17 June, 2016

Forest Park East Funeral Home & Cemetery

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