Linda L. Cortelyou Smith

Linda was my step-mom after she and my dad, Robert Lee Smith, got married on July 16, 1983. There were times in the beginning that we got along well and then there were times when it was your typical step-parent situation. But after my dad Robert Lee Smith, passed in 2000 our relationship seemed to get closer.

Linda and I talked about things that she was not aware of when I was growing up and learned things about Josh that she did not know before. She then apologized to me one night saying that she never really understood Josh when he was younger but after we had talked she realized that there was a reason why he reacted the way he did when he was out there and they would take him shopping, etc. She said that she owed him an apology too. She said that she was used to her kids when she took them shopping and Josh was just the opposite of them. After pop died I cal led Linda 3-4 times a week to see how she was doing and to check up on her. Since I couldn’t do it in person, at least I could on the phone.

Linda and pop were married for almost 17 years. They moved from Portage, IN to Sun City, AZ because my dad loved it out there. Last year Linda was getting sicker with her COPD so she moved to Picayune, MS to live with her daughter otherwise she said that she would have to go to a nursing home and she didn’t want to do that. After moving to Mississippi, we didn’t talk as much because I felt like I was taking time away from her and her daughter. But we still had some good talks.

Mom you are missed and I am so glad that I was able to talk to you before you passed. If it were not for your son I would not have been able to talk to you. He took his cell phone into the hospital so I could talk to you. God Bless you.

Nancy Rodgers