On December 10, 2019, Linda passed away peacefully in her home after 67 years of filling her family and friends’ lives with humor, compassion, and love.

On March 1, 1952, the world became a brighter place when John and Ann Eggum welcomed Linda Lorraine Eggum into the world. A quiet child with an insatiable sweet tooth, she could communicate worlds of information with just her eyes. One of her fondest childhood memories was her routine of walking out back to visit her grandmother, standing at her door, waiting to be invited in, and sitting down to enjoy delicious cookies (taken from a bear cookie jar)—all without ever uttering a single word. That bear cookie jar still sits in her kitchen, filled with cherished memories, and occasionally, cookies.

Eventually, that quiet young girl grew into a beautiful and lively young woman who met the love of her life, the heart of her heart, Gilbert Hernandez. They married on June 12, 1971 and lived in Germany and Billings before finally settling in Sidney, Montana. Linda once remarked that she was young and naïve when she got married, believing she and Gilbert “could live on popcorn alone.” She later clarified she had meant to say they could live on love alone, but her close family and friends knew the truth: she meant popcorn. She was a popcorn fanatic; a true connoisseur who owned over a hundred different types of popcorn poppers over the years—from air poppers to pan fryers to microwavable bags; she was determined to pop the perfect bowl someday.

Linda’s life wasn’t all cookies and popcorn; like most people she had her secrets. If you ever wanted to view her prized bear cookie jar or her impressive collection of popcorn poppers, you would notice her house was covered in sunflowers. Her kids gave her sunflower glasses, her in-laws gave her sunflower clocks, her friends gave her sunflower decorations, wallpaper, mugs and more. But here’s the secret: she didn’t love sunflowers. She thought they were just alright. Years ago, she made an offhand comment that she “loved” sunflowers and, somehow, that comment went viral. Even though she didn’t love sunflowers, she loved knowing people cared about her enough to try to make her happy.

One thing Linda did love was taking time to care for others. Whether she was taking care of her beloved babysitting kids, the residents on Angel Avenue at Extended Care, visiting her patients in their homes, or taking care of her children and grandchildren, she insisted on taking her time. Compassion and love cannot be rushed, and when Linda devoted her attention to caring for you, you could take one look at those big, beautiful, brown eyes and know she was listening to you and devoting all of her attention to making you feel comfortable, safe, and loved.

Linda loved many things: reading her study bible, going for drives in the country, laughing and talking with her friends while sharing a coke, sending Christmas letters that would rhyme (which didn’t work well every time), and spending as much time as possible with her three adorable granddaughters. While she will be greatly missed, she will live on in the kind actions of all those who knew her.

Linda is survived by her husband of 48 years, Gilbert; her sons: Gabriel Hernandez of Seattle, Josh (Beth) Hernandez of San Antonio, and Ryan Hernandez of Billings; daughter: Anne (Ben) Losby of Billings; granddaughters: Eliana, Emmeline, and Penelope Losby; brother: Byron (Judy) Eggum of Glasgow; sisters: Mary Ann (Joe) Steinbeisser of Sidney, Delores Eggum of Sidney, and Connie Rehbein of Dickinson. Linda was preceded in death by her parents, John and Ann Eggum; brother, Dennis Eggum; her (infant) sister, Lorraine Eggum; niece, Charla Eggum; and nephew, Keith Steinbeisser.