(Isn't Linda stunning?!)
Shining Sister of the week:
Linda May Kurtz (Williams) Van Orman
Was born in Portland, Oregon in October of 1948. In 1959 we moved to New Jersey and my Dad worked in New York City.
In 1964 we moved to Chicago where I graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.
I have many great memories of my childhood: going to the beach in Oregon with my parents; seeing Broadway shows in New York; a fun vacation on Cape Cod; a great older brother that took me on dates and tried to teach me how to behave. Mike is 8 years older than I am. My parents were fabulous and gave me many opportunities like dance lessons, voice lessons, lots of traveling and great lessons on manners and how a lady behaves!!!
I graduated from BYU in 1970 with a degree in Music and Speech & Drama and have been privileged to go on two USO Tours throughout the Far East and to teach all three subjects in my 18 years as a teacher at Dixon Middle School. I began my career at KIXX and then KEYY Radio in Provo where I was a secretary and had my own one hour show each day. I once interviewed Robert Redford and he was a true gentleman!
I have 3 wonderful sons from my first marriage and Peter has 4 beautiful daughters from his first marriage (I was a single mother for 10 years and then was blessed to marry Peter in 1998)....So together we have 7 children, 7 spouses of those children and 25 grandchildren. Our oldest grandson is currently in the MTC learning Mandarin Chinese which he will use in the Calgary, Alberta Mission.
My favorite quote is from a song in the Sound of Music Movie:
"A bell's not a bell till you ring it;
A Song's not a song till you sing it.
And love in your heart wasn't put there to stay
Love isn't love till you give it away!"
My favorite songs are "I Heard Him Come" or "Because I Have Been Given Much."
Note: Linda wrote this in an email to me and I changed nothing because it was so beautifully written. What an amazing life she has had thus far. You are loved Linda! I hope you feel like the "Shining Sister" that you are!
