Linda Mae Veldhuizen

Linda Mae Veldhuizen, 79, of Memphis, Tennessee, died Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital. She was born December 14, 1946, to Jay and Nellie (Sterk) Veldhuizen in Oskaloosa, Iowa. She attended Oskaloosa Christian School before graduating from Oskaloosa High School in 1964. Following high school Linda went to work at Northwestern Bell in Oskaloosa as a long-distance operator on the cord board. In October 1972 she moved to Memphis to continue her work as a long-distance operator.

In 1976, Linda was loaned to the engineering department as an

engineering clerk and found her calling. After officially transferring to the engineering department, she was sent to the engineering assessment center, where she passed the engineering tests and was offered a position as an outside plant engineer in Jackson, Tennessee, in 1979.

In 1988 she returned to Memphis after being promoted to planning

engineer and was ultimately promoted to facilities manager in 1992. Throughout her career, Linda was proud of her work installing phone cable and ensuring loop capacity. She retired from BellSouth in December 1999.

In retirement, Linda found Community Bible Church in Memphis, where she became a beloved member of the congregation. She began volunteering as librarian and in 2002 became the church’s administrative assistant, a position she held until her death.

Linda loved photography, music and playing guitar. She was proud to have copyrighted her original song “Today I Will Begin” in 1975.

She is survived by nephews Dale Veldhuizen of Des Moines, Iowa, and Eric (Stacy) Veldhuizen of Oskaloosa, Iowa, and niece Sara (David) Veldhuizen Stealy of Ballwin, Missouri; a great-niece, Alexis (Jacob) Bell of Oskaloosa; two great-nephews, Dakota Veldhuizen of Pleasantville, Iowa, and Dawson Veldhuizen of Knoxville, Iowa; great-great-nieces Aubrey and Jaci Bell, of Oskaloosa, Iowa; and her goddaughters, Natalie Burke of Saraland, Alabama, and Ashley Evans of Memphis, Tennessee.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jay and Nellie Veldhuizen; her brother, Don Veldhuizen; and her sister-in-law, Marsha Veldhuizen.

The family would like to thank Ashley Evans, Pastor Jim and Dodi

Rowland, and Zula Wilson for the care, support and friendship they

provided to Linda over the years.

A celebration of life will be held at Community Bible Church in Memphis at a later date, followed by burial at Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa.

Family Funeral Care of Memphis and the Bates Funeral Chapel in

Oskaloosa are in charge of the arrangements. Memorials may be made to Community Bible Church in Memphis.