Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Smith, Linda Marie (Northrup) November 28, 2020 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Patricia Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net December 2, 2021, 4:07 pm Ionia Shopper's Guide-Sat. December 5, 2020 SMITH Linda Marie Smith, 64, of Ionia, passed away Saturday, November 8 at Butterworth hospital in Grand Rapids. On a freezing cold March 9, in 1956, a baby girl was born to Richard and Betty Northrup. Linda had a lazy eye, a cleft palate, and an indomitable spirit that destined her to overcome barriers. While the many corrective surgeries she had to endure left her with a dislike for healthcare, she learned it was important to help those who couldn't help themselves. It also taught her that she did not like being on the receiving end of such assistance She grew up surrounded by relatives, both the Northrups and her mother's Lake family, which instilled on her a desire to take care of others. She helped care for children, helped in the family bakery and in her teens decided to strike out on her own, ever the independent woman. She worked as a waitress and volunteered her time providing respite care for foster children. Linda graduated from the Saranac High School in 1974, and continued to happily forge her own way, making lifelong friends, Joella and Sheila. On July 4,1978, she had a date, with a man that she wasn't at all sure was suitable for her. Jack L. Smith,Jr. was in the military and frequently had to fly on a plane, something she despised, but his dogged persistence won her over. At the age of 23, she gave birth to her own baby girl, Kate, and decided to take Jack more seriously. They were married in November of that year. She moved from Lowell,M I to Fort Campbell, KY, then to Bad Kissigen, Germany, before finally spending 3 years in Fort Benning, GA. It was during this station that Jack was killed, and she went from military wife to military widow, a mantle she never took off. She decided to move back home in Michigan to raise her daughter closer to family. As a single mother, Linda worked to show her daughter that a woman can achieve anything she puts her mind to, but should always keep an eye out for the less fortunate. She worked at a bakery again, forming a sisterly bond with a co- worker, Karen. this bond continued after she left for a few new jobs, eventually settling on work as an antiques dealer, where she met her dear friend, Vern. Many visitors to Flat River Antique Mall will remember her as the knowledgeable and quick-witted dealer at the register. During Kate's first year at Michigan State, Linda's parents passed away suddenly, and Linda took over care of her nieces. She had loved these girls since birth and was able to raise them the same way she had raised Kate. Her girls loved having friends over, baking at the holidays, and yard saling in the summers to help supply "the booth."" Linda had a way of making memories out of the mundane, and for creating inside jokes that could cause uncontrollable laughter even years later. She was passionate about many tings, but the women in her life and her love of them was utmost. We hope to live our lives as a tribute to who she was and who she taught us to be. She provided light, laughter, and love to everyone she met, and will be deeply missed by too many to name. She spoke her mind and followed her own path, fiercely stubborn from the beginning of her life until the end. She died surrounded by loved ones who held her hand, and cried as they told her how much they loved her. There will never be anyone like her, and the world is a darker place without her. Linda is survived by her beloved girls, Kate (John) Smith-Buckler and Jasmine Weitzel; her nephews Dylan and Aiden; her very best friends Joella (Don) Miller and Karen (Tom) Weeks and numerous aunts, cousins, and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her husband Jack, parents Richard and Betty (Lake) Northrup, and friends Sheila (Chris) Soyka and Vern (Bill) Sanders. In lieu of flowers, pleas e consider donating to your local animal shelter of women's shelter. Cremation has taken place and there will be no services at this time. Arrangements in care of Lake Funeral Home in Saranac. Online condolences may be made at www.lakefuneralhomes.com File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/s/smith41359nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 4.7 Kb