Linda Lou Huizenga
Linda Lou Huizenga left this world on June 3, 2016, for her promised place in heaven. Lin spent 59 glorious years on this earth, the last 40 in the arms of her lifetime love, Marty. We celebrate her life with memories of how she lived.
Lin was born December 15, 1956 to Marvin and Agnes (Posthuma) Schmidt, the youngest of six siblings, joining Karen, Butch, Sue, Rita, and Lorna. Her childhood in that house on Hwy 68 in Fox Lake made memories that she would share throughout her life: the angry rooster, “standing on our heads picking pickles”, sliding across the kitchen floor on sugar, a purple bedroom, and the one attempted spanking by her gentle-spirited mother. Her life on a farm was the backbone for a life of faith, family, and hard work.
In 1976 she married Marty Huizenga Jr., the man who caught her attention two years earlier when he asked her to “sit on Santa’s lap, and tell him what you want for Christmas.” His cheesy lines stole her heart forever, and theirs was a life filled with laughter and love and excitement. A walk always included holding hands, sitting down next to each other meant she would always be nestled in his arm, and a kiss always accompanied a goodbye. Together they went on family vacations with their girls, Amy and Abby, to California, Myrtle Beach, and an unforgettable 3-week trip that spanned 13 states. They built a house together, and filled it with memories and love, and oh, how they loved. They went on motorcycle rides together, spend hours “digging in the dirt” planting flowers, and spent countless weeks away on vacations with friends where they enjoyed warm sand and cold drinks. When not with Marty, Lin spent her time at coffee, out to lunch, making crafts, baking cookies, shopping, and just enjoying time with her daughters and her friends.
Her greatest testimony of a loving marriage was the influence it had on her girls, who chose adoring husbands, Mike and Matt, who balanced our family in all the right ways and brought another level of love and laughter into her home. In 2006, Lin became “Nana” for the first time, and was blessed with six beautiful grandchildren, Gage, Logan, Cole, Kendyl, Mackenzi, and Ryanne. She enjoyed their energy, spoiled them endlessly, hugged them nonstop, taught them stuffed animal tag, created a weeklong lake vacation tradition, rocked them to sleep, or let them crash on the floor at sleepovers, if that’s what they wanted; their joy brought her joy.
Lin worked as a secretary for Waupun Christian School for over 12 years and, for the last 20 years as a secretary, and later a bookkeeper, for the Waupun Area School District. It was in these roles that she influenced many children’s lives with her kindness and generosity, and made dear and forever friendships. She could always be counted on to bring laughter, a prank or two, and a smile to work and she was dearly loved for it. She worked side-by-side with Marty in his barn for over 20 years, getting up early to get him off to work, and teaching her family an invaluable work ethic.
Lin lived life with an emphasis on the little stuff, and this was never more evident than when she was diagnosed with brain cancer in January 2015. She soaked up the minutes going to dinner and lunch with friends she hadn’t seen in years, and spent even more time with those she held dear. She cried tears of gratitude at benefits held in her honor, blessed to be part of a small, close knit community. She brought her family to a beach house on the ocean, and spent the week listening to the laughter, and watching her kids and grandkids live out what she had taught. She spent lunch breaks and days off and weekends and nights with her girls and Marty, talking about the future, and life without her here. All the unsaid had been said, and she held their hands as she talked with peace about going home forever.
So, please join us to celebrate her life. Don’t wear black. Mom wore bright colors and it was her wish that you do the same. Laugh at the memories, and through the tears remember the blessings. We always will. We are overwhelmingly grateful for the love, support, friendship, kindness, meals, cards, thoughts, prayers, hugs, and pure generosity of the hearts of those that have lifted us up over the last 18 months as Mom fought this brave fight.
Lin was greeted in heaven by her mom and dad, Marvin and Agnes Schmidt, her father-in-law, Martin Huizenga Sr., and brother-in-law Stuart Huizenga.
She is survived and celebrated by her husband, Marty, her daughters, Amy (Mike) Runte, and Abby (Matt) Pluim, and her grandchildren Gage Runte, Logan Pluim, Cole Runte, Kendyl Pluim, Mackenzi Pluim, and Ryanne Pluim; her siblings, Karen (Marv) Mielke, Marvin “Butch” (Kathy) Schmidt, Sue (Bob) Schmeichel, Rita (Lowell) Meidam, Lorna (Carl) Pluim; mother-in-law Janice Huizenga, and siblings-in-law Darlene (Dan) Price, Diane (Ed) Westra, Steve (Brenda) Huizenga, and Paul (Sue) Huizenga and too many aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, and friends to count.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Aaron Gerrits Rhemody Foundation.
Memorial services for Linda Huizenga will be held on Monday, June 6, 2016 at 3 p.m. at Alto Reformed Church with Rev. Gregg Pusateri officiating. Following the service the family will receive friends and relatives for a celebration of Linda’s life at Werner-Harmsen Funeral Home in Waupun from 5-8 p.m.
Werner-Harmsen Funeral Home of Waupun and staff are serving the family. Please visit our website at www.wernerharmsenfuneralhome.com for further information and to send condolences.