LINDA WAS BORN IN SEAGRAVES, GAINES COUNTY, TEXAS ON SEPTEMBER 8TH,1939 TO DERO HEZEKIAH AND GEORGIA BEAL LAWRENCE MORTON. SHE JOINED SIBLINGS BILLY JOE AND JUANIECE IN THE MORTON FAMILY.

LINDA CALLED BRIDGES CHAPEL HOME, APPROXIMATELY TEN MILES NORTH OF MT. PLEASANT, TEXAS. HER FAMILY PURCHASED A FARM WHEN SHE WAS THREE, BUT FARMING WAS UNCERTAIN AT THE TIME, WHICH LED TO GROWING UP ON THE MOVE. SHE LIVED IN TEXAS HER ENTIRE LIFE AND GRADUATED IN THE TOP TEN PERCENT OF THE MT. PLEASANT CLASS OF 1958. SHE ATTENDED COLLEGE AT EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY AND GRADUATED IN 1975 WITH HER ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEGREE. SHE ENTERED THE CLASSROOM IN 1984 TO BEGIN HER TEACHING CAREER THAT SHE TRULY LOVED AND RETIRED FROM WASKOM ISD IN 1996.

LINDA WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN HER COMMUNITY AND THE MANY ACTIVITIES HER FIVE CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN. TO NAME A FEW, SHE WAS BOY SCOUT DEN MOTHER WHERE SHE RECEIVED THE DISTRICT AWARD OF MERIT. SHE WAS INVOLVED WITH LITTLE LEAGUE AND MANAGED A MINOR LEAGUE TEAM FOR ITS FIRST YEAR. SHE TRULY BELIEVED YOU BACKED YOUR CHILDREN IN ALL THEIR ACTIVITIES, WHETHER IT BE AG/ FFA, BAND, OR SPORTS.

SHE WAS ALSO A LONG-TIME MEMBER OF THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF WASKOM WHERE SHE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN HER CHURCH. SHE TAUGHT YOUNG CHILDREN IN SUNDAY SCHOOL, HELPED WITH ANNUAL VBS, WAS A MYF LEADER, WAS PRESIDENT OF THE WASKOM UNITED METHODIST WOMEN FOR TWENTY YEARS, SERVING TWO TERMS AS A DISTRICT OFFICER. IN ADDITION, SHE COULD ALWAYS BE SEEN IN THE KITCHEN COOKING AND SERVING MEMBERS OF THE WASKOM COMMUNITY DURING THEIR ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DINNER AND HELPING ASSEMBLE ADVENT BOXES FOR THOSE IN NEED DURING THE HOLIDAYS. LINDA TRULY LOVED HER CHURCH AND BEING THE HANDS AND FEET OF CHRIST.

AMONG THE MANY THINGS LINDA DID AND ENJOYED, ONE OF HER GREATEST LOVES WAS BEING MAMA LINDA TO HER GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN AND WATCHING THEM GROW. SHE WAS AN AMAZING GRANDMOTHER AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER. PAST FAMILY GATHERINGS AND HOLIDAYS WOULD INCLUDE LOTS OF LAUGHTER AND GAMES. SHE WAS AN AMAZING SCRABBLE PLAYER AND LOVED TO PLAY WITH HER GRANDCHILDREN. SHE ALWAYS KEPT A DICTIONARY CLOSE WHEN THEY PLAYED AND WITH A KIND AND ENCOURAGING SPIRIT, WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO JUMP IN AND HELP A GRANDCHILD IF THEY COULDN'T MAKE A WORD OUT OF THEIR WORD TILES. OTHER GAMES SHE ENJOYED INCLUDED WAHOO, LIFE, AND CARD GAMES. AFTER RETIREMENT, SHE ENJOYED WORKING CROSSWORD PUZZLES AND SUDOKU.

LINDA PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST 29TH, 2024. SHE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER GRANDPARENTS, MINNIE BYRD AND SAMUEL HEZEKIAH MORTON, BIRDIE SCARBOROUGH AND FLOYD LAWRENCE, HER PARENTS, HER AUNTS AND UNCLES, HER SISTER JUANIECE MORTON TAUL POWELL AND HER SISTER-IN- LAW MARGIE DALE SWATSELL MORTON. LEFT TO CHERISH HER MEMORY IS HER SPOUSE OF 54 YEARS, FELIX HENRY GARRISON, THEIR SON DAVID GARRISON AND WIFE, DANIELLA, GRANDSON AND GRANDDAUGHTER ZACHARY AND SARAH; SON KYLE LUCAS AND WIFE, PAM, GRANDDAUGHTER BRANDI AND HUSBAND JAMES GRIMES, GREAT GRANDSON AND GRANDDAUGHTER, TANIS AND KAYLEE, GRANDDAUGHTER MANDI LUCAS, GRANDDAUGHTER KANDI LUCAS, GREAT GRANDSON AND GRANDDAUGHTER, HAYDEN AND HAYLEE; SON LARRY GARRISON AND WIFE, TERESA, GRANDDAUGHTER RENAE AND HUSBAND ERIC SLUSSER, GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER SADEE, GRANDSON RYAN GARRISON AND GREAT GRANDSON ASHER; DAUGHTER LISA TOLAND AND HUSBAND, RICK, GRANDDAUGHTER TIJUANA WEAVER, GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER MAYZI AND GREAT GRANDSON CHANCE, GRANDSON CHASE WALLER AND WIFE AUDREY, GREAT GRANDSON CHASE II, GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER KRISTEN, GREAT GRANDSON GARRETT, AND GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER ALLIE, GRANDSON LANCE WALLER AND WIFE MEGAN, GREAT GRANDDAUGHTERS LAIKEN AND LEGACY; GREAT GRANDSON TYSON, GRANDSON JAMES TOLAND AND WIFE CARRIE, GREAT GRANDSON LOGAN, GRANDSON JASON TOLAND AND WIFE JENNIFER, GREAT GRANDDAUGHTERS JERSEY, LOLA AND KAI, SON LYNN GARRISON, GRANDSONS CHRISTOPHER AND JOSHUA, GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER HEIDI AND GREAT GRANDSON JOSH.

VISITATION WILL BE 1:00PM, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2024, AT DOWNS FUNERAL HOME IN MARSHALL, TEXAS AND THE SERVICE WILL BE RIGHT AFTER AT 2:00PM.

CREMATION WILL FOLLOW WITH A PRIVATE FAMILY BURIAL AT A LATER DATE AT THE BRIDGES CHAPEL IN MT. PLEASANT.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, THE FAMILY ASK FOR DONATIONS TO BE MADE IN LINDA'S MEMORY TO THE WASKOM FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.

THE FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A SINCERE THANK YOU TO HEART TO HEART HOSPICE AND SHERRY TINDALL FOR THE EXCELLENT CARE AND HEARTFELT COMPASSION THEY SHOWED FOR LINDA AND TO ALL OUR FAMILY THESE PAST FEW WEEKS.