Linda L. Howell

Palmer resident Linda L. Howell died April 25, 2013, at her home in Palmer.

Memorial services are at 3 p.m., May 4 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1020 Blunck Rd., Palmer, with a talk to be given by John Kuhnke.

Linda was born Nov. 3, 1940, in Nashville, Tenn., but moved to California with her family a few years later. She graduated from Artesia High School and married her first husband Jim Lewis in 1959. They had three children together, but divorced in 1984. She later met Vernon D. Howell and they married on Nov. 19, 1987, in California and together moved to Alaska in 1990, where she lived up until the time of her death.

While she had enjoyed many hobbies in her life — oil painting, basket weaving and cake decorating — most important to her was serving the only true God Jehovah (Psalms 83:18), which she did for close to 50 years. She found great peace and strength in her bible based hope of the resurrection of the dead into God’s new world to life in paradise right here on Earth (John 5:28, 29 and Psalms 37:29).

Her daughter wrote: “Though her dad used to call her his Tennessee hardhead, mom was the kindest, most unselfish person I have known. She always saw the good in people, she was always there when we needed her and she was ready to help anyone, in any way that she could. She was an amazing woman with a heart of gold. She loved her family, her dear husband Vern, and all her spiritual brothers and sisters very much and she will be deeply missed by all who loved her.”

Preceding her in death were her parents, Bob and Naomi Hinkle; and her brothers, Kenny and Benny Hinkle.

Surviving are her husband, Vernon Howell of Palmer; daughter, Jamie Hagelund and son-in-law Harry Hagelund of North Kenai; daughter, Jodie Bailey and her husband Mike Bailey of Vandalia, Ohio; son, James Lewis and his wife Stephanie Lewis of Copperopolis, Callif.; sister, Dollie Fornter of California; her brother, Perry Hinkle; 10 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and five step-children.