Linda L. Hess

Linda was born on June 6, 1948 in Great Bend, Kansas to Ernie and Roberta Leiker. She and Hubert (Hugh) Hess were married in Great Bend, Kansas on June 14, 1969.

Linda graduated from Great Bend High School, the University of Kansas with a degree in education and had completed much of the requirements for a Masters Degree from Virginia Tech University.

In March 1990 she received a certificate of grateful appreciation from the Chief of Staff of the US Army for twenty years of faithful service with her husband.

In the late 1980’s she taught adult education classes to soldiers at Vint Hill Farms, Virginia. Linda worked at the State of Michigan’s Legislative Service Bureau in the 1990’s to early 2000’s. She volunteered to teach English as a second language A+ English School at the United Methodist Church in East Lansing.

She was a member of Michigan State University’s Wharton Center for the Performing Arts Inner Circle. She had been the Inner Circle’s Secretary for a two year term of office and a member of its education committee and ICAN. She was a docent of the Center presenting previews of the Center’s youth centered performances to school children throughout the greater Lansing area. ICAN prepares activities for children attending performances at the Wharton Center.

She was a member of St Martha Catholic Church, Okemos, Michigan and a member of The American Legion Auxiliary.

In her adult life she lived in Crailsheim and Frankfurt Germany, Riyadh Saudi Arabia, and the metropolitan areas of Chicago and Washington DC. She lived in Okemos Michigan from 1990 until her death.

She loved the performing arts. She had earlier performed with the Holt Dimondale Community Players in performances of Nuncrackers and Urinetown. She tried to learn how to tap dance.

She wanted to see the world. She lived in three countries and continents. She saw Paris in both the Spring and Fall, attended a Mass at St Peter’s grave, and watched Norway’s midnight sun and sunset at the Grand Canyon. She adored the beach of Hilton Head Island. She, her daughters

her grandchildren, her family grew and became beach bums there, returning each year for thirty five years.

Her passion of the past decade has been playing the ukulele and raising her voice in song. She was an active member of the Lansing Area ukulele community with the East Lansing Senior Center’s Prime Time Players, Just 4 Strings and other informal ukulele groups in the area.

She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Hubert (Hugh) Hess and her daughters, Melissa Bartl (Tim) of Arlington, Virginia and Meredith Farrell (Trevor) of Beaverton, Oregon. Linda has four grandchildren, Alexander, Nicholas and Nina Bartl and Matthew Farrell. They did it all with her…well not the tap dance.

She has an older sister, Janice Magaña (Conce) of Wichita, Kansas and six nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents, Ernie and Roberta Leiker, a sister Judy Laux and a nephew, Peter Hess.

A celebration of Linda’s life will be held from 4:00-6:00 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 at The University Club, 3435 Forest Rd. Beverage service and hors d'oeuvres will begin at 4:00 pm, followed by a program from 4:30-5:30 pm. Linda will be buried later this year or next at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

A trust in Linda’s name has been established by Music is the Foundation, a 501(c)(3) to fund music programs in area schools and the community and administer the Mighty Uke Day Festival each summer.

Donations may be made on line at http://mightyukeday.com/mitf/ or by mail to Music is the Foundation, 749 Cleo Street, Lansing MI 48915. If another charity is closer to your heart please donate there. The family is forever grateful to relatives, friends and neighbors who in the past weeks and days said “how can I help.” And to the Medical Director and nursing staff of St Lawrence Hospice, thank you isn’t enough but it’s all we have left.

Linda smiled and sang.