Linda Gail (Meek) Vernon

Linda Gail Meek began her mortal journey on 11 April 1962, born to Thelma Lora (Birkenthal) Meek and Stanley Ronald Meek, in Montreal Quebec, Canada in the village of Saint-Bruno. She grew up in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada and loved picking cherries, pears, and peaches from the fruit trees in the back yard and occasionally snatching a few grapes from the neighbor’s vines. Linda used to prepare potions of ditch-water and horse-tails for her sister to drink and tried to fly on windy days running down the hill with an umbrella. When her parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Linda, only 7 years old, was very upset because she couldn’t be baptized with them. She was joyfully baptized as soon as she turned 8.

Linda spent part of her youth in Bow Island, Alberta, Canada. When she moved to the prairies, dad rented an old farmhouse with an outhouse, no running water, and a few mice roaming the floors. Since there was no furniture, dad and the older siblings all slept on mats on the floor and worked long days alongside dad on the sugar-beet farm he purchased. Linda was all excited when mom and baby Paul arrived, and she and her sister, Sandra, desperately cleaned up their new home. Linda was devastated when her mom appeared to be horrified with the living conditions. After her mom cried for hours, the family quickly found a more suitable home. Linda moved hand-carry irrigation pipes singing songs as she carried them and was driving a tractor from the time she was 12. She particularly loved to run the combine at harvest time.

Linda was able to go to Morocco and Spain on a school trip when she lived in Bow Island and never had a real desire to travel again. This changed years later when she met QiQi, Paul’s lovely wife, and she was excited to travel to China for a wedding celebration and thoroughly enjoyed all the associated adventures.

After moving to Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the pig farm was another family adventure and Linda worked hard caring for the animals. After graduating from Swift Current Comprehensive High School in Saskatchewan, Canada, Linda attended Brigham Young University from 1980-1981 and while there she married her sweetheart Jeffrey Vernon on August 8th, 1981, in the Salt Lake Temple. Jeff said he made the mistake of taking Linda golfing on their honeymoon and it took Linda 20 years to recover and learn to enjoy golfing. In their early years of marriage they enjoyed fishing and camping together. Linda completed an Associate Degree at Weber State University in Computer Science. She worked 28 years for Summit County in the Information Technology department and was honored with an official declaration for her hard work and dedication to the county and her fellow employees.

Linda was always gifted with words and known for her long and detailed stories. When she would interrupt a conversation her dad used to ask, “Is this a Linda story?”. From elementary school onwards, Linda wrote many lyrics to popular tunes all about her teachers, activities, struggles, and joys. Her poetry was epic and always fun to read. She was creative and loved to make pottery, to quilt, and to paint throughout her life. She enjoyed time golfing, quilting, and attending the yearly Messiah performance with friends.

Linda took piano lessons as a child and played beautifully. Supported by good friends, she learned to play the harp at the age of 44 and once she mastered the harp she would haul her harp to any destination or rent one to play for anyone who asked, including at Paul and Qi’s wedding, Ally and Michael’s wedding, and at the courthouse during Christmas party celebrations.

Linda and Jeff adopted two wonderful children, Jamie and Shawn, and she was a completely devoted mother. As a young mother, she loved to take the children to the park. As the children grew, Linda would, and often did, sacrifice anything and everything to assist them with whatever they needed. She extended this attitude of kindness, love, and sacrifice to everyone around her and included everyone as “family.” She fondly called her home, “Mount Vernon Bed and Breakfast.” Linda had a tireless work ethic and could get more done in a day than most of us dream about accomplishing in a week. She was always prepared and legends are told about her “magic trunk” at Girl’s camp that was filled with everything that anyone had a whim for. Her mother calls Linda, “her miracle worker.” She loved to watch her garden grow and pick fresh lettuce, carrots, peas, and corn. Eating them on the spot was one of her great joys. Her love of nature extended to cats, dogs, chickens, birds, skunks, and bees. She loved and lived the phrase “Bee happy.” Most recently, Linda’s favorite past-time was playing with the grandchildren who came over nearly every weekend.

Important to Linda was her testimony of her Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Linda was a living example to all those around her of true Christ-like love and dedicated discipleship. Linda was grateful for the temple and the ability to seal families together forever. She knew the power of prayer and had many deeply spiritual experiences including hearing an audible voice call out “Stop!” while driving alone in a car. Linda promptly listened and barely evaded a serious collision with another car. She remembers wanting to leave Swift Current and move back to Bow Island, offering to be an au pair for a family friend. Her parents told her to pray about it and she returned with a definitive answer of, “No.” Linda literally sang alongside angels in a Stake Choir, verified by all who were present. She was deeply touched by a vision of her father who came to hug her after he had departed his mortal life. She described it as being saturated with the most intense love she had ever known vibrating in every cell in her body. She said the feeling stayed with her for days but slowly faded away with time. She longed to return to feel this love of her biological father and Heavenly Father again. Linda led her life following the example of our Savior, and went about doing good.

When Linda was diagnosed with 4th stage cancer, her only thoughts were for everyone around her. Linda was the glue that kept immediate family, extended family, and friends together and her distress for all she loved was profound. We wish to thank all those who supported Linda during this challenge with so many demonstrations of love and donated funds to assist Linda’s immunotherapy treatment in Mexico. We are grateful for the many friends and nurses who shared their love and talents to help Linda through this challenge.

Linda returned to her Heavenly Father on March 27th, 2023 at 12:22 am, surrounded by family and her dear friend, Sarah.

Linda is survived by the love of her life, Jeffrey Vernon (husband),
Jamie (daughter), Dustin (son-in-law) Donovan (grandson), Ronan (grandson),
Shawn (son), Sam (Shawn’s partner),
Thelma Meek (mother),
Randy Meek (brother),
Sandra Banack (sister),
David Meek (brother),
Paul Meek (brother), and
Angela Benson (sister).

She was a true friend to all who crossed her path and will be deeply missed.

There will be a memorial service Friday, March 31 at 1:00 p.m. at the Coalville Stake Center.