Obituary from Baytown Sun.
The most wonderful woman on the planet has passed away. Linda Louise Walker Rowland appropriately entered this world riding in on the Matagorda Hurricane in August of 1942. Her adoring parents, John David and Dorothy Walker welcomed her arrival in Freeport, Texas, and she was surrounded by equally adoring loved ones when she left us the morning of October 14th. Her parents were blessed to have not only Linda, but also her brothers, J.D. “Bud” Jr., Jeff, Tommy and Mark. Linda and her brothers grew up in Newton, Texas on a chicken farm with a dirt floor, still using an outhouse until well into her school years. They were brought up to love God, help their neighbors and be grateful for the lives they were given. After graduating high school, Linda’s father dropped her off at Lamar State College of Technology in Beaumont to begin her life out of the piney woods of East Texas. The story goes that one sunny afternoon, Linda spotted an introverted, quiet senior engineering student in the cafeteria and was smitten. She asked to sit down next to him for lunch that day, and every day following until she and this handsome devil became an item. Unsurprisingly, John Rowland found he could not live without this beautiful woman, and asked her to marry him. And, on April 21, 1962, the two were married in the First Baptist Church of Newton. The honeymoon was an exciting car trip to Gary, Indiana where John began his career at US Steel as an Electrical Engineer. Well, the two apparently liked each other enough that in February of the following year, they welcomed their first child, Susan Lynn. John Douglas Jr. was soon to follow as was a move to Pennsylvania and another son named Matthew Edward. In 1969, the family made another move to Baytown, Texas where the last of their family was born, a daughter named Kathryn Elizabeth. John and Linda lived in Baytown for 38 years on Arrowhead Drive where they cultivated friendships that have lasted their lifetime. Linda bloomed in Baytown and became an active member of the community. She was a faithful member of Memorial Baptist Church, and later a founding member of Baker Road Baptist Church. She was a member of the Baytown Junior Forum and played bridge religiously once a month with the same group of friends for 30+ years. She was a staunch member of the Republican Party, and even ran for a Texas State Senate seat when she felt there was a need for change. She was never a shy woman, making it past Secret Security guards to shake the hand of President Gerald Ford when he came to the Lee/Sterling game during his administration. She even asked him to her home for tea – of course! Linda was a devoted member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She served in all offices of her chapter, and eventually as Worthy Matron at the Goose Creek Chapter in Baytown, and twice filled that office at the Amistad Chapter in San Antonio. She eventually was appointed to be Deputy Grand Matron of District 5, Section 7. But her greatest joy in OES came not from the fundraisers she was a part of, but from the close and loving friendships she cultivated with her OES sisters and brothers. Later in life, Linda devoted herself to the healthcare of her mother-in-law, and became a new student in the nursing school at Lee College. There, she not only received her LVN, but later also her Nursing Home Administrator’s license. During this time in school, she met her unofficially adopted daughter, Jean, and later not only opened her heart to Jean, but to Jean’s daughter Apryl Renee, who Linda considered her grandchild in love. Linda spent her time here on Earth making a difference in the lives of those with whom she came in contact. She was always offering a helping hand and a guiding word – even though her children might call them “Linda lectures” ... For the years she was with us, we were blessed without measure to have her as our matriarch. Her children and their spouses, Derek Sauls, Angela Rowland, Blaine Holbrook and Gina Marlow, and her grandchildren, Pearce Sauls, Rowland Sauls, Grace Sauls, Taplin Louise Sauls, Cody & Courtney Ratliff, Rey & Merrissa Morales, Linda Eleise Holbrook, and Aric Holbrook will all miss this amazing woman. Our family gatherings and daily lives will definitely never be the same again. However, we fully expect her to greet us in Heaven someday wearing orange lipstick and nails, a double row of pearls and a flower on her jacket while serving us warm pecan pie and homemade ice cream asking us why we weren’t home before the street lights came on. Linda had a passion for the Order of the Eastern Star. While she would never expect others to bring a gift to her final farewell, if you feel as though you would like to do something in her memory and don’t want to send flowers, a donation to the Baytown Chapter of this organization is always welcomed. Thank you for caring her, you each brought her joy. For that, our family is forever grateful. After the service at Navarre Funeral Home on 2444 Rollingbrook Drive in Baytown on October 22nd at 1:00, our family would love for you all to join us at the Baytown Boat Club for lunch and the opportunity to share with each other just what Linda meant to each of us. The address for the Boat Club is 1600 Clear Lake Rd, Highlands, 77562.
Obituary sent by: Contributor: Dianne Cauthen (47262590) • [email protected]
The most wonderful woman on the planet has passed away. Linda Louise Walker Rowland appropriately entered this world riding in on the Matagorda Hurricane in August of 1942. Her adoring parents, John David and Dorothy Walker welcomed her arrival in Freeport, Texas, and she was surrounded by equally adoring loved ones when she left us the morning of October 14th. Her parents were blessed to have not only Linda, but also her brothers, J.D. “Bud” Jr., Jeff, Tommy and Mark. Linda and her brothers grew up in Newton, Texas on a chicken farm with a dirt floor, still using an outhouse until well into her school years. They were brought up to love God, help their neighbors and be grateful for the lives they were given. After graduating high school, Linda’s father dropped her off at Lamar State College of Technology in Beaumont to begin her life out of the piney woods of East Texas. The story goes that one sunny afternoon, Linda spotted an introverted, quiet senior engineering student in the cafeteria and was smitten. She asked to sit down next to him for lunch that day, and every day following until she and this handsome devil became an item. Unsurprisingly, John Rowland found he could not live without this beautiful woman, and asked her to marry him. And, on April 21, 1962, the two were married in the First Baptist Church of Newton. The honeymoon was an exciting car trip to Gary, Indiana where John began his career at US Steel as an Electrical Engineer. Well, the two apparently liked each other enough that in February of the following year, they welcomed their first child, Susan Lynn. John Douglas Jr. was soon to follow as was a move to Pennsylvania and another son named Matthew Edward. In 1969, the family made another move to Baytown, Texas where the last of their family was born, a daughter named Kathryn Elizabeth. John and Linda lived in Baytown for 38 years on Arrowhead Drive where they cultivated friendships that have lasted their lifetime. Linda bloomed in Baytown and became an active member of the community. She was a faithful member of Memorial Baptist Church, and later a founding member of Baker Road Baptist Church. She was a member of the Baytown Junior Forum and played bridge religiously once a month with the same group of friends for 30+ years. She was a staunch member of the Republican Party, and even ran for a Texas State Senate seat when she felt there was a need for change. She was never a shy woman, making it past Secret Security guards to shake the hand of President Gerald Ford when he came to the Lee/Sterling game during his administration. She even asked him to her home for tea – of course! Linda was a devoted member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She served in all offices of her chapter, and eventually as Worthy Matron at the Goose Creek Chapter in Baytown, and twice filled that office at the Amistad Chapter in San Antonio. She eventually was appointed to be Deputy Grand Matron of District 5, Section 7. But her greatest joy in OES came not from the fundraisers she was a part of, but from the close and loving friendships she cultivated with her OES sisters and brothers. Later in life, Linda devoted herself to the healthcare of her mother-in-law, and became a new student in the nursing school at Lee College. There, she not only received her LVN, but later also her Nursing Home Administrator’s license. During this time in school, she met her unofficially adopted daughter, Jean, and later not only opened her heart to Jean, but to Jean’s daughter Apryl Renee, who Linda considered her grandchild in love. Linda spent her time here on Earth making a difference in the lives of those with whom she came in contact. She was always offering a helping hand and a guiding word – even though her children might call them “Linda lectures” ... For the years she was with us, we were blessed without measure to have her as our matriarch. Her children and their spouses, Derek Sauls, Angela Rowland, Blaine Holbrook and Gina Marlow, and her grandchildren, Pearce Sauls, Rowland Sauls, Grace Sauls, Taplin Louise Sauls, Cody & Courtney Ratliff, Rey & Merrissa Morales, Linda Eleise Holbrook, and Aric Holbrook will all miss this amazing woman. Our family gatherings and daily lives will definitely never be the same again. However, we fully expect her to greet us in Heaven someday wearing orange lipstick and nails, a double row of pearls and a flower on her jacket while serving us warm pecan pie and homemade ice cream asking us why we weren’t home before the street lights came on. Linda had a passion for the Order of the Eastern Star. While she would never expect others to bring a gift to her final farewell, if you feel as though you would like to do something in her memory and don’t want to send flowers, a donation to the Baytown Chapter of this organization is always welcomed. Thank you for caring her, you each brought her joy. For that, our family is forever grateful. After the service at Navarre Funeral Home on 2444 Rollingbrook Drive in Baytown on October 22nd at 1:00, our family would love for you all to join us at the Baytown Boat Club for lunch and the opportunity to share with each other just what Linda meant to each of us. The address for the Boat Club is 1600 Clear Lake Rd, Highlands, 77562.
Obituary sent by: Contributor: Dianne Cauthen (47262590) • [email protected]
Obituary from Baytown Sun.
The most wonderful woman on the planet has passed away. Linda Louise Walker Rowland appropriately entered this world riding in on the Matagorda Hurricane in August of 1942. Her adoring parents, John David and Dorothy Walker welcomed her arrival in Freeport, Texas, and she was surrounded by equally adoring loved ones when she left us the morning of October 14th. Her parents were blessed to have not only Linda, but also her brothers, J.D. “Bud” Jr., Jeff, Tommy and Mark. Linda and her brothers grew up in Newton, Texas on a chicken farm with a dirt floor, still using an outhouse until well into her school years. They were brought up to love God, help their neighbors and be grateful for the lives they were given. After graduating high school, Linda’s father dropped her off at Lamar State College of Technology in Beaumont to begin her life out of the piney woods of East Texas. The story goes that one sunny afternoon, Linda spotted an introverted, quiet senior engineering student in the cafeteria and was smitten. She asked to sit down next to him for lunch that day, and every day following until she and this handsome devil became an item. Unsurprisingly, John Rowland found he could not live without this beautiful woman, and asked her to marry him. And, on April 21, 1962, the two were married in the First Baptist Church of Newton. The honeymoon was an exciting car trip to Gary, Indiana where John began his career at US Steel as an Electrical Engineer. Well, the two apparently liked each other enough that in February of the following year, they welcomed their first child, Susan Lynn. John Douglas Jr. was soon to follow as was a move to Pennsylvania and another son named Matthew Edward. In 1969, the family made another move to Baytown, Texas where the last of their family was born, a daughter named Kathryn Elizabeth. John and Linda lived in Baytown for 38 years on Arrowhead Drive where they cultivated friendships that have lasted their lifetime. Linda bloomed in Baytown and became an active member of the community. She was a faithful member of Memorial Baptist Church, and later a founding member of Baker Road Baptist Church. She was a member of the Baytown Junior Forum and played bridge religiously once a month with the same group of friends for 30+ years. She was a staunch member of the Republican Party, and even ran for a Texas State Senate seat when she felt there was a need for change. She was never a shy woman, making it past Secret Security guards to shake the hand of President Gerald Ford when he came to the Lee/Sterling game during his administration. She even asked him to her home for tea – of course! Linda was a devoted member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She served in all offices of her chapter, and eventually as Worthy Matron at the Goose Creek Chapter in Baytown, and twice filled that office at the Amistad Chapter in San Antonio. She eventually was appointed to be Deputy Grand Matron of District 5, Section 7. But her greatest joy in OES came not from the fundraisers she was a part of, but from the close and loving friendships she cultivated with her OES sisters and brothers. Later in life, Linda devoted herself to the healthcare of her mother-in-law, and became a new student in the nursing school at Lee College. There, she not only received her LVN, but later also her Nursing Home Administrator’s license. During this time in school, she met her unofficially adopted daughter, Jean, and later not only opened her heart to Jean, but to Jean’s daughter Apryl Renee, who Linda considered her grandchild in love. Linda spent her time here on Earth making a difference in the lives of those with whom she came in contact. She was always offering a helping hand and a guiding word – even though her children might call them “Linda lectures” ... For the years she was with us, we were blessed without measure to have her as our matriarch. Her children and their spouses, Derek Sauls, Angela Rowland, Blaine Holbrook and Gina Marlow, and her grandchildren, Pearce Sauls, Rowland Sauls, Grace Sauls, Taplin Louise Sauls, Cody & Courtney Ratliff, Rey & Merrissa Morales, Linda Eleise Holbrook, and Aric Holbrook will all miss this amazing woman. Our family gatherings and daily lives will definitely never be the same again. However, we fully expect her to greet us in Heaven someday wearing orange lipstick and nails, a double row of pearls and a flower on her jacket while serving us warm pecan pie and homemade ice cream asking us why we weren’t home before the street lights came on. Linda had a passion for the Order of the Eastern Star. While she would never expect others to bring a gift to her final farewell, if you feel as though you would like to do something in her memory and don’t want to send flowers, a donation to the Baytown Chapter of this organization is always welcomed. Thank you for caring her, you each brought her joy. For that, our family is forever grateful. After the service at Navarre Funeral Home on 2444 Rollingbrook Drive in Baytown on October 22nd at 1:00, our family would love for you all to join us at the Baytown Boat Club for lunch and the opportunity to share with each other just what Linda meant to each of us. The address for the Boat Club is 1600 Clear Lake Rd, Highlands, 77562.
Obituary sent by: Contributor: Dianne Cauthen (47262590) • [email protected]
The most wonderful woman on the planet has passed away. Linda Louise Walker Rowland appropriately entered this world riding in on the Matagorda Hurricane in August of 1942. Her adoring parents, John David and Dorothy Walker welcomed her arrival in Freeport, Texas, and she was surrounded by equally adoring loved ones when she left us the morning of October 14th. Her parents were blessed to have not only Linda, but also her brothers, J.D. “Bud” Jr., Jeff, Tommy and Mark. Linda and her brothers grew up in Newton, Texas on a chicken farm with a dirt floor, still using an outhouse until well into her school years. They were brought up to love God, help their neighbors and be grateful for the lives they were given. After graduating high school, Linda’s father dropped her off at Lamar State College of Technology in Beaumont to begin her life out of the piney woods of East Texas. The story goes that one sunny afternoon, Linda spotted an introverted, quiet senior engineering student in the cafeteria and was smitten. She asked to sit down next to him for lunch that day, and every day following until she and this handsome devil became an item. Unsurprisingly, John Rowland found he could not live without this beautiful woman, and asked her to marry him. And, on April 21, 1962, the two were married in the First Baptist Church of Newton. The honeymoon was an exciting car trip to Gary, Indiana where John began his career at US Steel as an Electrical Engineer. Well, the two apparently liked each other enough that in February of the following year, they welcomed their first child, Susan Lynn. John Douglas Jr. was soon to follow as was a move to Pennsylvania and another son named Matthew Edward. In 1969, the family made another move to Baytown, Texas where the last of their family was born, a daughter named Kathryn Elizabeth. John and Linda lived in Baytown for 38 years on Arrowhead Drive where they cultivated friendships that have lasted their lifetime. Linda bloomed in Baytown and became an active member of the community. She was a faithful member of Memorial Baptist Church, and later a founding member of Baker Road Baptist Church. She was a member of the Baytown Junior Forum and played bridge religiously once a month with the same group of friends for 30+ years. She was a staunch member of the Republican Party, and even ran for a Texas State Senate seat when she felt there was a need for change. She was never a shy woman, making it past Secret Security guards to shake the hand of President Gerald Ford when he came to the Lee/Sterling game during his administration. She even asked him to her home for tea – of course! Linda was a devoted member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She served in all offices of her chapter, and eventually as Worthy Matron at the Goose Creek Chapter in Baytown, and twice filled that office at the Amistad Chapter in San Antonio. She eventually was appointed to be Deputy Grand Matron of District 5, Section 7. But her greatest joy in OES came not from the fundraisers she was a part of, but from the close and loving friendships she cultivated with her OES sisters and brothers. Later in life, Linda devoted herself to the healthcare of her mother-in-law, and became a new student in the nursing school at Lee College. There, she not only received her LVN, but later also her Nursing Home Administrator’s license. During this time in school, she met her unofficially adopted daughter, Jean, and later not only opened her heart to Jean, but to Jean’s daughter Apryl Renee, who Linda considered her grandchild in love. Linda spent her time here on Earth making a difference in the lives of those with whom she came in contact. She was always offering a helping hand and a guiding word – even though her children might call them “Linda lectures” ... For the years she was with us, we were blessed without measure to have her as our matriarch. Her children and their spouses, Derek Sauls, Angela Rowland, Blaine Holbrook and Gina Marlow, and her grandchildren, Pearce Sauls, Rowland Sauls, Grace Sauls, Taplin Louise Sauls, Cody & Courtney Ratliff, Rey & Merrissa Morales, Linda Eleise Holbrook, and Aric Holbrook will all miss this amazing woman. Our family gatherings and daily lives will definitely never be the same again. However, we fully expect her to greet us in Heaven someday wearing orange lipstick and nails, a double row of pearls and a flower on her jacket while serving us warm pecan pie and homemade ice cream asking us why we weren’t home before the street lights came on. Linda had a passion for the Order of the Eastern Star. While she would never expect others to bring a gift to her final farewell, if you feel as though you would like to do something in her memory and don’t want to send flowers, a donation to the Baytown Chapter of this organization is always welcomed. Thank you for caring her, you each brought her joy. For that, our family is forever grateful. After the service at Navarre Funeral Home on 2444 Rollingbrook Drive in Baytown on October 22nd at 1:00, our family would love for you all to join us at the Baytown Boat Club for lunch and the opportunity to share with each other just what Linda meant to each of us. The address for the Boat Club is 1600 Clear Lake Rd, Highlands, 77562.
Obituary sent by: Contributor: Dianne Cauthen (47262590) • [email protected]
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