Linda Kay Sutton

Linda Kay Sutton went home to our Lord on October 20, 2026, with a smile on her face. We can only imagine the reunion waiting for her in Heaven — and suspect she has already made a few new friends, found someone who needs a helping hand, and asked where they keep the supplies for baking pies.

Linda was born on June 7, 1944, in Midland, Michigan, to Jack and Florence Presley. Through a lifetime of challenges, including many health struggles, Linda met life with a remarkable combination of strength, determination, and an ever-present positive spirit. She had a way of finding the good in people, the joy in everyday moments, and a reason to keep going when life got hard.

In May 1963, Linda married Jerald “Jerry” Martin, beginning a 27-year marriage filled with adventure, family, and wonderful memories. Together, they raised four children: Lucinda Jacobs (Scott), Pamela Riggie (Roger), Jay Martin, and Jeffrey Martin (Cheryl). Their family life included motorcycles, snowmobiling, good friends, and treasured time at Higgins Lake.

Linda's home had an unofficial but well-understood open-door policy. If a child needed a place to stay, there was room at Linda's table and a place in her heart for as long as it was needed. And the welcome wasn't limited to children. Injured wild animals were also eligible for shelter, care, and rehabilitation — whether or not the rest of the household had agreed to the arrangement. If something needed help, Linda's first instinct was to help it. Questions about the practicality of the situation could come later.

In December 1993, Linda married William “Bill” Sutton and welcomed two more daughters-in-love, Terri Wolfe (Fred) and Sue Sutton, into her growing family. Together, Linda and Bill traveled to nearly every state in the United States, as well as throughout Canada and Australia. They shared a love of refurbishing antique furniture, fishing, nature hikes, and wildlife of all kinds, especially squirrels and deer. Their adventures gave Linda plenty of stories to tell and plenty of opportunities to appreciate the beauty of God's creation.

Caring for others was not simply something Linda did; it was who she was. She had a special place in her heart for those who were hurting or vulnerable, including children, the elderly, the sick, and animals who couldn't speak for themselves. Her compassion was practical, generous, and often accompanied by something homemade.

Never one to believe it was too late to learn something new, Linda decided to attend college while raising four children and working full time. That determination carried her through a successful career as an insurance agent with Farm Bureau, where she retired at the age of 70. Along the way, she built lasting relationships with her customers, many of whom became much more than names on a policy. Linda celebrated their milestones with homemade pies, cakes, cookies, and even quilts. With Linda, customer service sometimes came with a dessert — and occasionally something warm to wrap up in. She understood that people needed more than insurance; they needed to know someone cared.

In 2020, Linda relocated to her little mountain home in the River Falls area of South Carolina. There, she found a beloved church family at Gap Creek Baptist Church and what felt like a new lease on life. She embraced her mountain home, enjoyed the people she met, and continued doing what came naturally to her: turning strangers into friends. To Linda, a new face was simply a friend she hadn't met yet.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Florence Presley; her husbands, Jerry Martin and Bill Sutton; her brother, Bill Presley; her granddaughter, Alexis Martin, and her beloved dog, Panda.

She leaves behind her children, daughters-in-love, an abundance of grandchildren and great-grandchildren — both biological and lovingly adopted — and so many extended family members and friends that counting them all would be a project Linda probably would have turned into a family gathering. Her legacy reaches far beyond any family tree. It lives on in the children she welcomed, the animals she rescued, the people she encouraged, the customers she remembered, the friends she made, and the countless lives made better simply because she was there.

Linda's life reminds us that love doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it looks like an open door, a warm meal, a homemade pie, a quilt, a listening ear, a big hug, or a safe place for someone — or something — who needs one. Sometimes it looks like choosing to smile even when life is difficult.

We imagine Linda has now traded her earthly struggles for heavenly peace, reunited with loved ones, and found a place where she can enjoy all the beauty of creation without worrying about who is going to feed the squirrels and birds.

She will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever celebrated. The world was kinder because Linda was in it, and Heaven has gained one more bright smile.

Rest peacefully, Linda. Your work here is done, your love lives on, and we're pretty sure the wildlife down here will be wondering where you've gone.