- Date Of Birth: July 30, 1939
- Date Of Death: July 30, 2021
- State: Arkansas
Linda Lee Bratton McCormick was born on July 7, 1939, to Guy and Lucille (Sawyer) Bratton. She passed away on July 30, 2021, at the age of 82. She left this world loving her children Kent and Skipper McCormick and Todd and Lesa Rogers and her grandchildren Drew, Luke, Daniel, Josh, Nathan and Lydia McCormick and Ashton, Kolby, and Emma Rogers. She also left behind five wonderful sisters and their husbands who were her best friends: Betty Harman, Carolyn Thomason, Marilyn and Butch Hinson, Jimmie Lou and Ademar Nuessner, and Mary and Eddie Farmer. Not to mention a multitude of family and friends whom she loved. She will miss you as much as you miss her.
We have heard so many amazing stories about our sweet momma. As someone so sweetly stated, “Linda was a special lady. I loved being around her because of that smile, always laughing and having fun with a twinkle in her eye.” She was so fun and so funny, and she welcomed family, friends, and strangers alike. Another said, “She and your dad knew everyone and because of them, we were welcomed into the community. I will never forget the friendship they offered.”
Her sisters remembered her early life. Linda was born and raised in Harrison and graduated from HHS in 1957. She was the hardest to wake up and she would borrow her older sisters’ clothes to wear to school after they were already gone. She was a cheerleader and worked during lunch and after school at Joe Kirby Drug Store as a soda jerk. She loved going to the movies and hanging out with her friends. After graduation, she spent a short time with her older sisters in Virgina before returning to tie the knot with the love of her life Leroy McCormick in June 1958. They were always up for an adventure. They loved fishing, camping, and bowling. Someone said, “They must have square danced a thousand miles together.”
Linda was well-respected businesswoman. She worked for Dr. Fogo, EENT, until the close of his business and was then scouted by First National Bank to be a teller. Her favorite spot was working the drive-in window. She left the work force to raise children and farm animals and then was convinced by her sister to work for First Federal. She ran a computer big enough to fill an entire room and created an operating manual for one of the first check routing machines in the country. Later, she turned one of her favorite hobbies into a career. Linda worked for a variety of auction businesses and had numerous flee market booths all over the Ozarks. She loved finding hidden treasurers, unique knick-knacks, and tons of jewelry. She could spot a diamond in a box of junk before she even got out of the car.
The sweetest time in her life began when Lesa Carol came into the world. Leroy “Kent” came six years later, and their family was complete. Lesa and Kent were the center of Leroy and Linda’s life, and they developed the same values of family, generosity, and hospitality as their parents. Oh, but how things changed when grandchildren came into the picture. They were truly the center of her universe. She rarely missed a sporting event, recital, dance, pageant, performance, or play. She was always there. Her grandchildren recall that she always sang, “A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.”
Our mom had so many favorite things. She took us to church and volunteered at school. She loved bird watching, reading, painting, sewing, wood crafts, and Bunco. She played the piano and organ. She watched John Wayne movies every time they were on TV. She loved to travel with friends and family, and often invited her younger sisters and their families. She went to casinos for an hour or two of entertainment. She loved hosting holidays in her home and sleepovers with her grandchildren. She was the first to give up her seat to another and the last to sit down to eat. She adored family game nights and playing dominoes. It didn’t matter how many were already there, there was always room for you too.
We have never had any doubt about her love for us or Jesus. She was a church builder. True heart, hands, and feet of Jesus. Most Sundays and Wednesdays she kept church attendance, books, and babies. She loved so sweetly and unselfishly. Most importantly, she would want you to take care of yourself and be safe. If you don’t know Jesus Christ, find him. He was her Savior and King, and she woke up in Heaven one afternoon to see his bright and shining face. She joined our dad, her parents, her oldest sister (Norma Maytubby), her brothers-in-law (Buddy Harmon and Benny Maytubby), a child and grandchildren she never knew. She is waiting to welcome you there, too.
Her family.
