Linda Lucille Willenbrink, 85, of Bowling Green, Mo., died Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, at her daughter’s home in Winfield, Mo.

Services were held at 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, at the Bibb-Veach Funeral Homes & Crematory in Bowling Green, with visitation before at 9 a.m. Burial was held at St. Charles Memorial Gardens Cemetery in St. Charles, Mo.

Linda was born March 4, 1939, in Frankford, Mo., the daughter of Lloyd Leroy and Edna Mae (Grote) Kelch. Growing up, Linda lived in Frankford and Louisville, attending elementary school in Louisville and junior high and high school in Silex. Linda was a guard for the Lady Owls basketball team and graduated in 1958. It was during high school that she started writing letters to a soldier she had never met, who was away at war while stationed in Germany and France. That soldier was Lawrence A. Willenbrink. Upon his return to the states and being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, the two started dating in 1958. At 8 a.m. Mass on Jan. 30, 1960, at St. Clement Catholic Church in St. Clement, Mo., Linda and Larry were united in marriage and together celebrated 61 years of marriage. Larry died earlier on March 13, 2022.

Upon their marriage the two moved to O’Fallon. Larry began working for Drug Package and soon Linda followed. Linda would spend the next 44 years working for the company and retired in 2004 as a supervisor. Upon her retirement, she and Larry built a home in Bowling Green, Mo., and moved back so that she could take care of her ailing mother. Never one to sit around, Linda found herself needing something to do and began working for the local Dollar General Store.

In her free time, Linda enjoyed gardening zinnia flowers, putting puzzles together, playing card games, listening to country music, watching old game shows and the Hallmark Channel on TV, along with sitting on her back porch with a glass of sweet tea and watching the hummingbirds. Every August she would spend time at Lake of the Ozarks at the Quails Nest Inn and Suites.

Survivors include daughter, Laura Stage (Ron) of Winfield; grandchildren Kristen (Brad) Hanff, Justin (Jess) Smith; great grandchildren Kiley (Kaleb), Evan, Caleb, McKenna, Jansen, and Jori; great-great grandchildren Lincoln, Carson, and Cooper who is due to arrive in April of 2025; brother Les Kelch of Bowling Green; nieces, nephews and extended family.

Her parents, husband, sons Larry Dean and Lance Leroy Willenbrink; siblings Larry and Wayne Kelch, Melba Benn, all died earlier.

Serving as pallbearers were Ron Stage, Brad Hanff, Justin Smith, Garrett Luebrecht, Kaleb Schneider, and Kiley Schneider.

Memorials are suggested to your local humane society, or Frankford First Christian Church.

Online condolences may be made at www. bibbveach.com.