Linda Kay Wilkins

Linda was born in Lubbock, Texas, but moved to Decatur when she was very young. Her parents ran a chicken farm and, eventually a dairy farm. She enjoyed the country life and spent a great deal of time riding horses. We believe this is where she developed her great love of animals. Linda was a “Daddy’s Girl” and shared her deep love for horses with her father for the rest of his life.

When she was eleven years old, the family moved to Baytown where she met one of her lifelong, best friends, Irene. Linda and Irene spent their pre-teen years riding horses all over Baytown (probably much farther from home than her father would have allowed). In their teens, they competed in horse shows, barrel racing, etc.…. anything that involved horses. Linda and Irene shared a 68-year friendship.

While attending Cedar Bayou Junior High and Robert E. Lee High School, Linda played clarinet in both concert and marching bands. When her son, Michael joined the band in Junior High, he had the same band director as his mother (ironically, Mr. Wallace), who remembered her fondly.

Linda graduated from high school, married, and had two outstanding children. In 1971 she became a single parent, and, as usual, rose to the occasion. She went to work for Gibson’s Department Store as a bookkeeper, where she met Gwynette. They became great friends and have been for almost 50 years.

Linda married Jerry, the “Love of Her Life”. Together, they finished raising those two outstanding children, who remember it as a wonderful time, full of laughter, happiness, family, and lots of animals. Linda raised dogs, horses, a bobcat, a skunk, and rabbits. The kids had pets such as fox, raccoons, and peacocks. She was always at home waiting for the kids after school, attended every Brownie meeting, every baseball game, and every 4-H meeting. She rode horses with her kids and supported them competing in the local Rough Riders club. She was there to bandage every hurt and backhand every smart aleck comment. And there was always a bar of soap around if a kid’s mouth needed washing out. Linda is part of the fabric of every childhood memory of her children.

She came by her sense of humor and joy for life naturally, from her parents. Linda’s Dad was always joking with everyone. She and her Mother, for almost ten years dressed like Mr. and Mrs. Alf (from the TV show) and attended the annual church carnival. The costumes were amazing, complete with full masks, suits, and ties on backward, furry hands, and bags of candy for the kids. One year, they carried a baby

Alf and passed out pink candy cigars. They never spoke a word while in character. To this day, no one outside of the family ever figure out the “Alf’s’” identities! Many tried. It was the longest running stunt her kids can remember. And it was a great secret shared between Linda and her mother.

Linda and Jerry retired and moved to Grapeland where they had more land to raise miniature horses and toy fox terriers. She was VERY competitive and would travel all over the United States attending dog shows. Her granddaughter, Camie, attended many shows with her, and was the one to “champion out” one of the dogs. She elevated several of her dogs to National Grand Champion status. Linda was so knowledgeable about these dogs; she became a judge for both AKC and UKC.

Shortly before Jerry’s passing, Linda suffered her first serious stroke. (Earlier, it was mentioned that Jerry was the love of her life.) She had just left the ER and was admitted to her room. The left side of her face was drooping. And she could not speak. She was a bit confused and very angry that she could not go home. Denise and Michael were standing by her bed when Jerry walked into the room. Her face immediately softened, her eyes lit up, and she had a look of joy on her face that can only be described as “like a 17-year-old girl being picked up for the prom”. It was beautiful. And it moved everyone in the room. The love of her life.

Linda moved to Denton to be near her son, Michael, and his family. She wanted to spend as much time as she could with his children while they finished their last few years as kids. She took prom pictures, attended high school graduations, and even attended one of their weddings. During that time, she survived a bad case of meningitis, and breast cancer including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Linda was a fighter. And she won those battles as well.

She then moved to Anahuac to be near Denise and her children and grandchildren. She had slowed considerably from all her health issues. But she enjoyed being near the great grandchildren immensely. While she did not enjoy fishing herself, she loved watching the little one’s fish. And, occasionally, get a picture with an alligator they would pull from the pond.

In 2020, Linda suffered a second major stroke and moved into an assisted living facility where she promptly became “in charge” once again. Her first full day there, she called her son to complain she had waited for over 30 minutes in the dining room for her breakfast to be served. His response was, “Mom, you don’t even eat breakfast!”. She

attended every single activity they had. She ate three meals per day in the dining room with friends, attended daily exercise classes, went to therapy, shopping trips on the bus, movie nights, and got her hair done in the beauty shop each Friday. She participated in “dress up” days, walker races, and did not miss a single Bingo game. And, each day, she let her kids know how much she hated the place!

So, what was Linda really like?

* She was viciously stubborn

o Always ready for a fight

o Held grudges

o Was slow to forgive

* She was very competitive

o Whether it was a dog show, a game of dominos, a costume contest, or a game a bingo, she was going to win

* She was an avid animal lover

o Especially if it was a horse

* She was very family oriented

o Linda had a great passion for her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

o She believed in strict discipline. She was quick to pinch a wiggling kid in church, or make her granddaughter, Heather, stick her gum behind her ear for smacking it

o But, let someone treat one of her children or grandchildren wrong, and Mama Bear would emerge in fierce fashion

* She had a great sense of humor, a quick wit, and loved to play practical jokes

o When Denise and Michael were young, there were always plastic spiders or rubber snakes hid around the house. The rubber snakes would always end up in Linda’s stockings that were hanging to dry in the bathroom.

o For years, Jerry had a crowd gather around each day at the refinery at lunch time. They wanted to watch as the latest practical joke from Linda would emerge from his lunch box. Would it be a real boiled egg? Or a wooden laying egg? Would the walnut contain a nut? Or was it hollowed out and full of marshmallows? Would he notice the wrapper left on the cheese before he bit into the sandwich? It was always a mystery.

o When she lived briefly with Michael and Angie after her last stroke, she claimed she saw a rat in the house, which no one believed. So, a large rubber rat was purchased, and the games began. She would hide the rat

in their laundry basket or the pantry. They would hide the rat in her medicine cabinet and her sock drawer. They had a great time with it.

Linda left an amazing legacy…not only with her two outstanding children, but with everyone in this room. She was truly the family matriarch. She taught her children, through example, life lessons that have, and will continue to serve them well. They want me to share some of those with their children and grandchildren now, on behalf of their Mom.

1. Always fight for what you believe in. Dig those heels in and stand your ground. You are important. Never allow yourself to “fade into the background”.

2. Find something you are passionate about and be the best at it. Winning is not everything…. but it feels great!

3. Make a few great friends and foster those relationships for the rest of your life. We all need others to make our lives complete. But everyone is not your friend! And it is ok not to like some of them!

4. Cling to your family. Always put them first. Its ok to argue, even fight with them. But let the love endure. Do not give up on them. When the “rubber hits the road” they will be there for you.

5. Take life’s challenges on HEADFIRST. Life will throw you curve balls. The only two options are “dodge or catch”. You are always stronger than you think you are. You will lose loved ones. You may face heart attacks, strokes, or cancer. Get up and persevere.

6. And finally, every now and then, hide a rubber rat in someone’s sock drawer. Laughter and joy are a “must” for a happy life.

When you miss Linda, just remember that look she had on her face that was “like a 17 year old girl getting picked up for the prom”. She had that look once again as soon as she was reunited with Jerry, her Dad, and all of her other loved ones that went on before her. She is home.

A visitation for Linda will be held Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Navarre Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 2444 Rollingbrook Drive, Baytown, TX 77521. A funeral service will occur Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, 2444 Rollingbrook Drive, Baytown, TX 77521. A committal service will occur Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at Earthman Memory Gardens Cemetery, 8624 Garth Road, Baytown, TX 77521.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.navarrefuneralhome.com for the Wilkins family.