Linda Cotrell of Bowling Green, Ohio passed away on May 24, 2022. She was born October 25, 1941 in Sidney, Ohio to Joseph and Eileen Whitmer who later moved to Covington before permanently settling in Bradford, Ohio
Linda Married Howard Cotrell from Antwerp, Ohio on August 4 1962. She is survived by her husband: a brother, Joseph Whitmer of Alabama; a sister Brenda Whitmer of Illinois; two nephews and their families; and three nieces and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents and an older brother, George Whitmer and his wife Linda; and sister-in-law Caroline.
Following her 1959 high school graduation from Bradford High School, Linda traveled the northern and western United States, including southern Ontario, for six months with the Reverend Archie Hickerson and his family, with the responsibility of looking after their two sons, Phillip and Mark.
Upon returning to Ohio Linda was employed as a receptionist at the Piqua Machine and Manufacturing Co. in Piqua. Follwing that she was employed with the Ohio Bureau of Unemployment Compensation where she processed claims for the unemployed. Through an intervention by Reverend Hickerson, she met and began dating Howard Cotrell in 1961. Following their marriage they lived in Leipsic, Ohio, where he was employed at the local high school. Linda was employed at Buckeye Sugars in Ottawa where she served as a receptionist and assisted in processing payroll checks for the factory employees.
In 1965 they moved to West Lafayette, Indiana, where Howard pursued and received his Master’s Degree at Purdue University. Linda was employed on the campus, first in the Purchasing Department and then the Life Sciences where she typed research papers for two professors.
They moved to Bowling Green In 1967 when Howard was offered the position of Assistant Director of Audio Visual Services which later became the Instructional Media Center. Linda held various positions as a receptionist to the University Architect, processor of employee time cards in Payroll, assisting residence halls for the female students in the Housing Office, and as residence hall office clerk for the department of Presidential Services. She retired in 1992. Linda was a member of First United Methodist Church in Bowling Green, a charter member of the Bowling Green Curling Club, and a member of Greenwood Chapter 159, Order of the Eastern Star, where she and Howard served as presiding officers in 1980. Linda continued to remain in active the Order, presiding an additional four times and was Grand Chaplain of the Grand Chapter of Ohio in 1994.
The Cotrells were nature and animal lovers who enjoyed walking the trails at Wintergarden Nature Preserve, Oak Openings Preserve, and visiting many national parks in the scenic western United States. Their adored pets through the years including a budgerigar parakeet they named Perky who was adopted in 1963 and eleven kitties adopted between 1970 and 2011, named Tigerje, Jasper, Skipper, Skyler, Tango, Toby, Cali Amber, Felix, Punkin, Kasidee, and Tiffany — all of whose pictures are engraved on the Cotrell monument.
Linda enjoyed going to the movies, reading for pleasure, counted cross stitch, line dancing and Tai Chi. An informal celebration of life service will be held at Deck-Hanneman Funeral Home, 1460 W. Wooster Street at 2:00 on Wednesday, June 1, 2022. As light refreshments are being served, friends are welcome to share favorite memories using a microphone provided. At 4:00 pm we will adjourn to the chapel for a brief Eastern Star service which will conclude the celebration of life.
A private interment will be at Lost Creek Cemetery, Hicksville, Ohio.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Wood County Humane Society, Bowling Green; Wintergarden Nature Preserve, Bowling Green: First United Methodist Church, Bowling Green or charity of donor’s choice.
