Linda Mae Simmons
May 14, 1947 — February 14, 2024
Linda Mae Simmons, daughter of Sherman and Adelaide (Armstrong) Callender was born May 14, 1947 in Pisgah, Iowa. She was the youngest of 18 siblings. She attended kindergarten in Moorhead, Iowa and first grade through graduation at Woodbine Community School in Woodbine, Iowa. Linda's childhood home in Woodbine was located where Willow Lake is now.
After high school, Linda started working in Denison, Iowa where she met Steve Simmons. They later married and to this union one daughter, Lora was born. The couple moved to Harlan where they ran Harlan Taxi for many years. In the summers, Linda was also the bus driver and crew leader for Wilson Hybrids detasseling corn. In 1980, Linda and Steve divorced, and she started working at the Shelby Mini Mart and Dairy Queen. She was a hard worker and usually carried two jobs at a time.
In 2005, Linda moved back to Harlan to be closer to her family. Her grandkids were her life. She loved taking them with her on many adventures to Colorado or just a random trip to the city. She worked at Kountry Kids and enjoyed it so much because she was a kid at heart herself . She was very caring and helped many elderly people with their daily needs to ensure they could stay living at home. She was proud to be a grandma and loved attending her grandkids' events. She could also be found cruising around Harlan with her beloved dog Dixie, in her green Ford Taurus personally decorated with stickers and whitewall tires. Linda loved country music, especially Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, which she passed that love down to her daughter and grandchildren. Coal Miner's Daughter was her all-time favorite song and she performed it live on stage at the Shelby, Iowa street dance in 1985. If you knew Linda, she was a feisty and ornery little lady with a big personality and would come up with random nicknames for the people she liked.
The last few months were not easy, but she was a fighter and never gave up. Even on the bad days, she would still laugh and sing and always made sure her family knew how much she loved them. They showed their love for her in return by making sure she was taken care of when she no longer could take care of herself.
God saw that she was tired and it was time to come home. Linda peacefully passed away surrounded by her family on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, attaining the age of seventy-six years and nine months. She was preceded in death by her parents, Sherman and Adelaide Callender and all her siblings.
She is survived by her daughter Lora (Doug) Kloewer of Harlan, IA; grandchildren Ashley (Taylor) Schleis; Zach (Brittany) Kloewer; Haley (Andy) Harbour; great grandchildren Caleb Schleis, Breckyn Schleis, Easton Schleis, Sophia Kloewer, Mya Kloewer all of Harlan, other family members and friends.
After high school, Linda started working in Denison, Iowa where she met Steve Simmons. They later married and to this union one daughter, Lora was born. The couple moved to Harlan where they ran Harlan Taxi for many years. In the summers, Linda was also the bus driver and crew leader for Wilson Hybrids detasseling corn. In 1980, Linda and Steve divorced, and she started working at the Shelby Mini Mart and Dairy Queen. She was a hard worker and usually carried two jobs at a time.
In 2005, Linda moved back to Harlan to be closer to her family. Her grandkids were her life. She loved taking them with her on many adventures to Colorado or just a random trip to the city. She worked at Kountry Kids and enjoyed it so much because she was a kid at heart herself . She was very caring and helped many elderly people with their daily needs to ensure they could stay living at home. She was proud to be a grandma and loved attending her grandkids' events. She could also be found cruising around Harlan with her beloved dog Dixie, in her green Ford Taurus personally decorated with stickers and whitewall tires. Linda loved country music, especially Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette, which she passed that love down to her daughter and grandchildren. Coal Miner's Daughter was her all-time favorite song and she performed it live on stage at the Shelby, Iowa street dance in 1985. If you knew Linda, she was a feisty and ornery little lady with a big personality and would come up with random nicknames for the people she liked.
The last few months were not easy, but she was a fighter and never gave up. Even on the bad days, she would still laugh and sing and always made sure her family knew how much she loved them. They showed their love for her in return by making sure she was taken care of when she no longer could take care of herself.
God saw that she was tired and it was time to come home. Linda peacefully passed away surrounded by her family on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, attaining the age of seventy-six years and nine months. She was preceded in death by her parents, Sherman and Adelaide Callender and all her siblings.
She is survived by her daughter Lora (Doug) Kloewer of Harlan, IA; grandchildren Ashley (Taylor) Schleis; Zach (Brittany) Kloewer; Haley (Andy) Harbour; great grandchildren Caleb Schleis, Breckyn Schleis, Easton Schleis, Sophia Kloewer, Mya Kloewer all of Harlan, other family members and friends.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Linda Mae Simmons, please visit our flower store.