Linda Sue Bakker

Linda “Lynn” Sue Bakker – The sweetest, and most thoughtful soul left us Wednesday, November 8th – after a long battle with ALS. She was born in Blooming Grove PA, and just celebrated her 75thBirthday on September 11th. Lynn is survived and missed so much by her 3 surviving children Jesse Bakker, Christopher Bakker, and Stephanie Bakker who will never forget the love she gave. Her grandchildren Taylor Weis (age 20), Pierce Bakker (age 16), and Bailey Bucher (age 11) will remember “Grammy Lynn” – and especially because she was always throwing cash their way – if even just on the way to school. 😊 She is preceded in death by her husband – Dan Bakker, and daughter Jackie Bakker. And she is now also reunited with her mother Barbara & John Slifko, and two brothers – Robert and Greg Slifko.

YOUNGER YEARS AND WORK: Linda Bakker was a very fancy woman – and everyone knew it. She had a flare for the finer things in life – which is clearly how she ended up marrying Dan Bakker. 😉. She started her career as a caregiver – working as a candy striper, and it’s no surprise that her caregiving turned to animals on our very large farm property. Her biggest “job” though was raising us 4 kids. As Jesse puts it, we were “hellions” until Lynn came along. She gave us structure, taught us loyalty in family – and she gave us God. She worked very hard around the house, and over the years grew a farm of horses, chickens, ducks, pigs, geese, and eventually chihuahua. If you knew her, you know she never stopped moving – working around the house/property all day long…she was the hardest working woman you could know.

LOVE LIFE: As Lynn would tell it – “me and Marla were “it” back in the day”. Her younger pictures had her with the cutest bleach blonde bob hair cut – it was like something out of a Christian Singles magazine. 😊 She married young, and had one daughter named Jackie. They later divorced, and in 1984 she met the love of her life – Dan Bakker – who also brought 3 more kiddos to her family (Jesse, Chris & Stephanie), and that was a wrap for Lynn. Family was her everything – she instilled love into each and every part of our being. And although there were ups and downs, Lynn & Dan had a loyalty like no other as there was nothing they wouldn’t do for one another – and in the name of family.

FRIENDS: Lynn was known all over town as Mrs. Bakker and had many acquaintances from the many get togethers. Though, despite all the parties, Lynn was a fairly private person, and everyone close to her knew she really only had one true friend – Marla Hohfeler. Their friendship began 45-years ago – and they knew everything about one another. Marla and Lynn were so close – that Marla eventually married one of her brothers. 😊 Marla was also there for Lynn’s last few days here on earth, and I’m sure they will one day again be “it” for all the boys in Heaven…

GRANDMOTHER: Oh how Lynn loved her grandchildren! Believe it or not, she felt like that (how close she got to her grandchildren) was the only silver lining in having ALS. She spent the last 9 months living with Taylor & Bailey – and was quick to make them laugh by contributing many good dollars to the Family Curse Jar. Even when she could no longer say it to pay it, she would spell it or silently mouth it – she always got her point across. 😊 She loved seeing Pierce grow into a ‘handsome young man’, she loved Baily coming to sit in her room and encouraging her to steal candy, and she loved Taylor’s visits and making sure she never went back to college empty handed. Although she would have wanted many more years with them – we are confident she taught them a deeper love of family – even in the short time they had Grammy Lynn.

MOTHER: Lynn had one daughter of her own, and 3 additional unexpected kiddos along the way after meeting Dan. She never really knew what she was getting into, and as soon as she married, she was shocked to know thta nobody agreed to babysit us anymore – only her friend Marla would tolerate us – and only in short spurts. Lynn realized she definitely had her work cut out for her. After she got over telling us to “go play on the yellow line”, she settled in well as a mom, and taught us about God, taught us how to love, taught us what family meant, and no matter the odds – she kept us together. She was the greatest mother we could have asked for – in our very untraditional upbringing. Everyone who knew her – knew just how much she loved her kids and would lie, cheat or steal for them (and confess the following Sunday). After she lost her daughter Jackie in 2016, Lynn was never the same, but it was the very love that she poured into Jesse, Chris & Stephanie over the years that rose right back up to meet her to help carry her through to her final days.

Linda Bakker leaves a legacy of family, she leaves one of happiness, faith, hope and love. There are no words that we can choose to express how grateful we are to have her in our lives. We will think of her daily, and know that she is seated next to God, and finally reunited with her daughter, husband, brothers, and parents. In lieu of flowers, tell someone you love them today, have a little bit more patience for those around you, give something to someone who is in need – and raise a very fine toast to Linda Bakker, Grammy Lynn – our Mom – a very special woman.