Linda Hudson

Linda Hudson

Linda Lee Hudson, 75, passed away in a nursing facility in Nampa, Idaho on May 15, 2022 of kidney failure.  Linda was born in Nampa on December 30, 1946 to E.A. “Pat” Patchin and Mattie (Shimmin) Patchin.  She spent her early life at the family homestead near Bowmont, south of Nampa, with her parents and sister Barbara.  Unfortunately, Linda lost her brother Harold, and her mother at an early age.  She spent two years living with her beloved Aunt Rose and Uncle Don in Nebraska before returning home to Idaho.  In 1957, her father married Opal Schimmels, and she gained two new brothers, Doyle and Maurice, and a new sister, Linda Jane.  Linda attended Happy Valley Elementary School and secondary school in Kuna, Idaho, graduating from Kuna High School in 1964.

Linda met Jim Jensen at the Nampa Rollerdrome skating, and they wed in 1965, settling in a small house on the family farm.  They had two children, Karen and Gary.  Linda spent several years raising her young children, and working to provide a home, food, and clothing for her family.  She instilled a love of reading and respect for education in her children that benefited them greatly in life.  Linda and Jim were early members of the Lutheran Brethren Church of Nampa.  They later moved to Kuna, Idaho, but as with many couples who marry young, Linda and Jim grew apart and divorced.  Linda later married Monte Hudson, and the couple moved back to the family farm and lived near her father throughout his later years.  Tragically, Monte passed away at 1994.

Linda overcame many physical challenges in her life; figurately and literally getting up after she fell down.  Although she had a few early jobs, she found her calling in a career devoted to caring for those that needed it the most.  She spent 20 years working at the Idaho State School and Hospital, giving care to severely developmentally challenged people.  She gave more than just care, but also love and attention to those that many in society would overlook, brightening the lives of her “kids.”  Although she cared for hundreds, two of the residents, Shane and Mindy, held a special place in her heart.  Her own physical challenges caught up with her eventually, and she was forced to retire. 

She spent her retirement first in Nampa, and later in Caldwell, Idaho.  She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, and volunteered her time to visiting hospice patients.  Eventually, she settled into a quiet life at an assisted-living facility in Caldwell.

Linda was preceded in death by her husband, Monte, her parents, and her brothers.  She is survived by her sister and husband, Barbara and Gaylord Scripture of Parma, Idaho; her sister Linda Dowers of Colorado; her daughter, Karen Jensen of Kuna, Idaho; her son, Gary Jensen of Washington, DC; her granddaughter, Kassi Jensen and her partner Kevin Hall of Boise, Idaho; and her grandson, Chris Jensen and her great granddaughters Phoenix, Anastasia, and Oakley of Kuna, Idaho.

A graveside service will be held on Monday May 23, 2022, at 11:00 am at Kohlerlawn Cemetery in Nampa, Idaho.

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