Lynn R. Vanderlinde

For Lynn Vanderlinde, family was the greatest source of happiness in her life. She had a warm and giving heart and could always be counted on as a support for those close to her and a shoulder to lean on. Her life was not marked by glitz and glamour, but instead a stable and fulfilled commitment to the true bounties of life. With the Great Depression hanging over the country, the year 1934 was a time of difficulty for all Americans, whether you lived in the city or the country. Despite these challenging times, Edgar and Avis (Bauer) Merrihew maintained their positive spirits by focusing on the new blessing in their lives, the birth of their daughter, Lynn, on October 23, 1934, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was the second of five children. Lynn created many unforgettable childhood memories with her three sisters, Barb, Marge and Gail, and brother, Rob. Her placement in the sibling lineup meant she carried much responsibility around the house, yet Lynn always deemed her childhood as her golden years. Lynn's father did not have a normal kind of job; he worked as a secret agent. When Lynn was in her early teens, the family moved to Panama for 2 years while he did some work for the C.I.A. During this time, Lynn went to school on the military base and learned to swim by a man in a wheelchair. She was a little apprehensive, however, when it came to diving, so one day a solider told her if she dove into the water, he would give her an ice cream sundae. It happened that the solider went on leave shortly thereafter, but upon his return, Lynn proudly made her dive and a sundae was waiting for her when she got out. After they left Panama, the family came back to Grand Rapids for a time before settling in Cloverville, a small community just outside of Muskegon. Lynn then completed her education and graduated from Muskegon Heights High School. It was also here that Lynn met her future husband, William Vanderlinde, and they were later married and had five wonderful children. Tragically, in January of 1974, they lost their son, Billy, in a snowmobile accident at the age of 19. Lynn and William later divorced after 25 years of marriage, but always remained good friends. Lynn's family always came first. She made sure her children had the help and support they needed, encouraging them in their schoolwork and activities, and helping along at school in any way she could. As a family, they enjoyed many summers at their grandparents' cottage on Loon Lake in Lake County, which they fondly remember to this day. Lynn never missed a family activity. Son, Joe recounts how she never missed a single baseball game of his. Besides being a devoted mother, Lynn also worked in the office at Fleet Engineers, though she later moved into the shop, because it paid more to provide for her family. She also enjoyed working at Krautheim's Jewelry Store for a while in addition to volunteering at the animal shelter. Lynn had a soft heart for animals, especially cats. Her love for cats was also evident by her large collection of cat figurines, which she loved. It was said that Lynn was a child of the 50s, because she loved the rock and roll music and culture of this decade. Her children joked how they fondly remember "her songs." She was also a big fan of Clint Eastwood movies. Lynn stayed in touch with many of her former classmates at Muskegon Heights by attending their class reunions regularly. In 1999, Lynn was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Lynn is survived by her 3 sons, Daniel (Peggy) Vanderlinde of Ravenna, Ken (Kim) Vanderlinde of Muskegon and Joe (Debbie) Vanderlinde of Muskegon; 1 daughter, Barb (Mike) Baker of Holton; 13 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild; 3 sisters: Barb (Ron) DeLong of Tucson, AZ, Marge (Pete) Salamone of Wyoming, MI and Gail (John) Soos of Benton Harbor; 1 brother, Rob (Sherry) Merrihew of Cutlerville. She was preceded in death by her parents, son, Billy Vanderlinde, in January of 1974, and former husband, William Vanderlinde in 1986. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory, order flowers or make a memorial contribituion in her memory.