Linda June (Walton) Toops

Linda June (Walton) Toops was born on April 13, 1944, to parents Richard “Dick” and Nina (Burke) Walton in Klamath Falls, OR. Linda was the second of seven born into their union. Their family moved where the work was, so Linda grew up in many different states, graduating high school from Seminole, Oklahoma and going to college in Ada, Oklahoma.

Linda had two sons, Mark and Roger, who she considered some of her greatest accomplishments in life. Linda loved life and appreciated each day for what it gave. She appreciated the little things in life and saw the value of what those things had to offer.

Linda was very creative and artistic. She had a way of using her imagination and artistic mind to create items and adventures that her siblings, children, and grandchildren, will forever cherish and re-live in their memory of her.

Linda loved to read and would get lost in the adventure of the journey it would take her on. She had a way of transporting herself and those she shared with, to wherever the book or creative project she was working on would take her. Linda’s love for books led her to live out a dream that she never thought possible, when she became the co-owner of The Bookery in Cushing, Oklahoma, sharing her love for reading with the community that she served so proudly. She referred to herself and will forever be remembered by so many as “The Book Lady”. She was in her element at The Bookery and loved spending her days there, surrounded by books, while still finding time to stop off at the local library to explore other titles and topics.

Linda walked everywhere and savored life around her as she would stroll around town. She loved people, never met a stranger, and loved talking to those that would take the time on her trek to wherever the day would take her. Among her favorite places to go, in addition to her store and the library were the local parks, where she found herself getting lost in nature and the Homestead Restaurant, which she called “The Café”, and considered and loved the people there as family.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her sons, Mark Toops and Roger Toops and wife Rebecca; daughter-in-law, Kimberly Frye-Toops; siblings, Sue Roberts, David Walton and wife Karol, Billie Walton-Hensley and wife Susan Bumgarner, Gwen Fisher, Paul Walton, Galen McFall and husband Pat; grandchildren, Michael Toops, Hope Toops, Marc Toops, Shelbi Watkins and Hannah Toops and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held in Linda’s honor at 2PM on Friday, April 12 at Palmer Marler Funeral Home’s Chapel, officiated by Pastor Mark Skinner of Calvary Baptist Church. Inurnment will be at Fairlawn Cemetery.