Linda Ann Meyer

Linda was born in Saginaw, Michigan, to Arthur and Clementine "Tina" (Rossbauer) Kennedy on October 27, 1950. After moving to Toledo in her junior year, Linda graduated from Whitmer High School, then proceeded to earn her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Education from the University of Toledo. Teaching the elementary grades was her passion, and for three and a half decades, she committed herself to the children of the Toledo Public School system. Most of that time was spent as a first grade teacher at Whittier Elementary School, where she made sure her students had everything from reading, writing, and arithmetic skills to winter gloves.

Teaching wasn't her only love, however; Linda was also devoted to her family. She became Linda Ann Meyer for the past 37 years when she married James, and they soon welcomed son John and daughter Anne into the world. Together they created a close-knit family tied together by memories of far more good times than bad, with plenty of laughter and love.

Her love of family, coupled with a long-standing interest in history, led her to a new passion after her retirement: genealogy. She quickly developed an extraordinary set of sleuthing skills that led to binders filled with family photos and histories, all carefully labeled and organized. A strong advocate of preserving family history, she could often be heard urging others to record their own family's stories before they were lost forever, and she deeply enjoyed hunting down the ancestry of the people in her life, related to her or not. Her genealogical work rewarded her with a network of friends that stretched across the globe.

However, as genealogists well know, each person's story must eventually come to an end. Linda's own chapter in the family history closed on the evening of January 7, 2017, after a long period of illness. Her favorite holiday had always been Christmas, and she was able to spend one last holiday season with her loved ones before peacefully passing away. She is survived by her husband James, her daughter Anne, son John, daughter-in-law Gloria, and brother Gary Kennedy and his family.

The family would like to thank the Franciscan Care Center of Sylvania for the wonderful physical and spiritual care Linda received her final weeks.

The family invites guests to come and share their memories of Linda on Saturday, January 21, 2016 from 1-5:00 p.m. at Newcomer Funeral Home, 4150 W. Laskey Rd. (419-473-0300).

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in Linda's memory to the Salvation Army or to The Henry County, Ohio, Historical Society.