Linda Elaine Little, 51, died May 3, 2008, in her home on Lake O.H. Ivie after a long battle with cancer. She leaves behind her husband, Rich Little; her two daughters and son-in-laws, Ciara and Ryan Bearden and Alisha and Matt Quagliana of Austin; and her beloved granddaughter, Ella Bearden; as well as her parents, Delmer and Marcie Batla of St. Lawrence; two sisters, Cathy and Steve Livingston and Nancy and Mike Hillger of Garden City; five brothers, Mike and Denice Batla of Midland, Kenny and Vicki Batla, Larry and Rebecca Batla, Richard and Carol Batla of Garden City and Garry and Darla Batla of St. Lawrence. Also surviving are her mother-in-law, Helen Little of Hobbs, N.M.; a brother-in-law, Thomas A. Little Jr. and wife, Lisa, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; a sister-in-law, Brenda Morgan and husband, Richard, of Avondale, Ariz.; numerous nieces and nephews; and four godchildren.    

Linda was born Dec. 14, 1956, to Delmer and Marcie Batla. She was the third of eight children in a family that has always been close. She attended Garden City High School and later went to college at Howard College on a basketball scholarship.

In 1987, she married her soul mate, Richard Little, on June 21 in Midland. In marriage she gained two daughters, Alisha and Ciara. She loved the girls like her own from the start and brought love and life into their lives and the lives of the entire Little family, acting as the family photographer and party planner.

She and Rich made plans for a dream home early on in their marriage and built a home on Lake Ivie while they lived at Linda’s grandmother’s house in Wall. In 1999 they moved and the house has been full of family and friends ever since, whether it was hosting the Batla Fiasco every July or a few friends for a fishing tournament.

After moving to Lake Ivie, Linda began working at First National Bank of Ballinger. She was a light to the bank and all the customers who worked with her.  She rolled up her sleeves with any and all community bake sales, benefits or events she encountered. She was dedicated to many causes, including the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

In the past few years, Rich and Linda became very active in church and eventually helped found and build the Bethel Community Church of Bethel with Pastor Gary Reeves. Together with the surrounding community, the church members transformed a small dilapidated church into a house of God where everyone was welcomed just as they are to worship as it suited them. Pastor Gary Reeves and the entire Bethel community embrace the same loving philosophies that made Linda so special, and the church and its community will continue Linda’s good works.

Linda was an amazing friend to everyone and was always willing to drop everything if someone needed her. Her influence and effect on people was both immense and lasting. She had the gift of making every person feel special and loved, accepting everyone for who they were, flaws and all. She listened and cared deeply for everyone she came in contact with during her life.There will be a time of visitation for family and friends on Monday, May 5, at Lange Funeral Home from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Funeral service for Linda Little will be Tuesday, May 6, at 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Ballinger with Pastor Gary Reeves officiating. Burial will follow in Concho Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Lange Funeral Home. Guests may register at ballingerfuneralhome.com.

We, the family, would like to thank everyone, both family and friends who have provided support and care for Linda during her long illness and death. In addition, we’d like to thank the nurses and staff at the Hospice of San Angelo for working with us to make Linda comfortable while still listening and addressing any concerns we had during the process. Debbie Bishop, Linda’s nurse at the time of her death, deserves a special thanks as someone who cared for Linda as we did from the start and truly went above and beyond to address Linda’s unique circumstances and personality.  

How truly blessed we all were to have Linda as a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Though she will be missed, her legacy will live on in our hearts and souls forever.

Paid obituary