Linda Marie Olson-Fricke passed away on June 11, 2022 in Webb City, MO at the age of 77. She was born on March 10, 1945 in Lincoln, NE to Julius Cecil (JC) and Gladys Olson. Linda attended school in Enid, OK, graduating from Enid High School in 1963.  She married John Sam Sanders on March 7, 1964 in Killeen, TX where he was stationed in the United States Army.

This began her life of moving from place to place. Listed below are the places she moved to and  memories that Linda would often associate with those places.

1964 – Killeen, TX

• John was immediately deployed to the Mojave Desert for “Exercise Desert Strike”. He returned from maneuvers in June with a gleam in his eye.

1965 – Blackwell, OK

• Stacey Eugene Sanders was born on March 23, 1965

1966 – Fort Sill, OK

• Linda thought she had lost Stacey because he crawled under the baby bed, sat against the wall and no one could see him.

1967 – Blackwell, OK

•  Johnie Dodd Sanders was born on February 8, 1967

1969 – Frankfurt, Germany

• Corey Brian Sanders was born on April 16, 1970

1971 – Fort Riley, Kansas

1973 – Culver City, CA

1974 – Arleta, CA

•  Bradley Eric Sanders was born on October 20, 1975 in Long Beach, CA

1975 – Downey, CA

•  Linda had fond memories of a visit from her Grandma Brotherson who flew in from Iowa.

1976 – Enid, OK

•  The family returned to Enid as John prepared to leave the Army. Linda was excited to be back in her hometown near her siblings and parents who lived around the corner.

1989 –  Clinton, MO

• Met and married Larry Fricke in Enid before moving to Clinton, MO

1995 – Deepwater, MO

2004  – Branson, MO

2005 – Clinton, MO

2009 – Joplin, MO

• Linda & Larry moved to Joplin to be closer to Brad’s family. She enjoyed caring for Cami & Braeden after school and in the summers while their parents worked.
• Survived the tornado that devastated Joplin in 2011

Jobs of note:

• Linda’s first job was working for A & W at the age of fifteen as a roller skating carhop. She said, “Mugs were a dime a piece if you dropped them.”
• 1974-1975  Leggett & Platt, secretary for her cousin, Ronnie Joe Kennedy
• 1976-1980  Garry Munger’s secretary
• 1980-1988   Enid High School Library serving as secretary to Pat Davis & Lori Kirtley
• 1989-2004 Wetzel Clinic, secretary for sixteen doctors. Linda was most proud of this position, and able to pull it off because she typed a million words per minute.

Linda had many hobbies: playing piano, singing, solving puzzles, bowling (she bowled on a league), playing train dominos with her grandchildren, playing Mahjong on her computer, but her favorite thing to do was spend time with her family, telling and listening to stories, and laughing. She had a great sense of humor.  Her face would light up in the presence of her children and grandchildren. She said nothing brought her more joy than having all four of her boys together in the same room which didn’t happen often enough because “they were scattered hither and yon”.  Linda had many close personal friendships which she treasured and fostered. Linda was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease in 2015. By 2019 the disease had progressed to the point where her family was forced to find a facility where she could receive a higher level of care.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the doctors, nurses and aides at Webb City Health & Rehabilitation who cared for Linda and kept her safe during the last three years of her life.

Linda is survived by her four sons, Stacey Sanders and wife, Kay of Enid, Oklahoma, Johnie Sanders and wife, Bobbie of Williamsburg, Virginia, Corey Sanders of  Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, and Brad and wife, Carrie of Joplin, Missouri; brother, Bruce Olson and wife, Patty of Mountain Home, Arkansas; sister, Sharron Ames and husband, Everett of Clearwater, Kansas; grandchildren, Jeremy Kirkley and wife, Kimmie of Enid, Oklahoma, Elena Sanders of Harrisonburg, Virginia, Beau Balthazor of Ouray, Colorado, Ada Shackleford and husband, Josh of Richmond, Virginia, Camden Sanders of Webb City, Missouri, Braeden Sanders and wife, Alexis of Joplin, Missouri and Elijah Sanders of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania; great granddaughter, Tabitha Kirkley of Enid, Oklahoma; numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry Fricke; her parents, J.C. and Gladys Olson; nephew, Dustin Olson and granddaughter, Chassity Nabors.

A celebration of life will be held on August 13th from 2:00-4:00 pm at Enid Brewing Co. Barrel Room located at 126 S. Independence in Enid. Please come and share fond memories and stories of Linda. This is not a suit and tie affair. Come as you are.

“Don’t have a fit and fall in it.” ~ Linda Olson Fricke