Linda Jeanne Hammond Roberds
Linda Jeanne Hammond Roberds
1945 ~ 2024
After a life filled with love, laughter, family and friends, Linda Jeanne Hammond Roberds was reunited with her much-missed husband Wayne on November 6, 2024.
Linda was born February 1, 1945 at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah to Fern LaRue Billington Hammond and George Wilson Hammond. She spent her early years living in the Edgemont Avenue neighborhood on Salt Lake City’s west side. Her parents worked hard and saved to eventually buy a home on Brooklane Drive where she grew up in the Winder Stake, graduating from Granite High School.
After graduation, Linda worked as a bank teller for Walker Bank. She married Allen Wayne Roberds on August 7, 1967 in the Salt Lake Temple. As newlyweds, they lived in Laurel, MD and she worked as a secretary for Hydronautics. When Wayne was honorably discharged from the USAF, they chose to return to Utah, raising their family in the Murray/Cottonwood area. Eventually, Linda returned to the work force where she had a very successful career working in the executive director’s office of the Utah State Department of Health. She worked both as a legislative liaison and also the executive secretary for several directors and retired in 2007. Linda loved her many callings to serve in the MIA/Young Women’s programs, attending camps, youth conferences and teaching lessons. Several of her young women have stayed in touch throughout their lives, remembering most how much she loved them! She was also called to serve on the Brighton LDS Girls’ Camp Executive Committee where she chose the camp name of “Lucky”, representing how she felt about this opportunity. Mom loved to study her scriptures and learn about all the blessings the gospel has to offer. Upon retirement she and Wayne were called to serve in the Norway, Oslo mission which was a highlight in her life! She rejoiced in the promise made to them of their missionary service blessing our family for generations yet to come. She was so excited to receive and wear her missionary name tag and was so sad to take it off at the conclusion of their service.
Mom considered herself to be a “Kool-Aid” mom. Her home was always open to her friends and family and her children’s friends were especially welcome. It didn’t matter if it was a hot meal or a warm bed that you needed, you were welcome at Linda’s. There was always plenty of Kool-Aid and hot buttered popcorn for a BYU game. Her blueberry coffee cake was always in high demand and she laughed every time someone asked her for the recipe. “It’s on the side of the Jiffy Muffin Mix box”, she would reply, “Just triple the batch!” Mom enjoyed special traditions, one of the most enduring being making Amy a special circus carousel birthday cake. She made it every year and even delivered it to Amy’s classroom. Mom was the original Conference Bingo mom, making her own BINGO boards (and scones!), establishing her traditions long before they were ever popular. It was her way of keeping us quiet so she could listen. It worked! Our home was the place to be for General Conference.
Columbus Day weekend would see mom making pattern upon patterns of gingerbread house panels, so they would be dry enough for construction in a few weeks. She loved carrying on her mom’s tradition of making a gingerbread house the first Saturday after Thanksgiving. After Grandma Fern passed, Mom always made two houses and delivered “the extra one”, made in Grandma Fern’s honor, to someone who needed “just a little extra pick me up” that Christmas season. She shared this experience with many friends and their families over the years.
For someone who would say she didn’t like to travel, Mom did her share of it! She enjoyed a trip to Spain with her sister, Marilyn, to visit their brother Roger who was stationed there. Through the gracious gift of dear neighbors, she was able to go and pick-up Allen from his mission in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. While serving their couple’s mission in Norway, they attended a temple trip to Sweden. She traveled the United States from coast to coast visiting family and friends. Texas was a particularly favorite destination as she felt a special closeness to Wayne’s Texas Family. She truly loves them.
Mom loves music. One of her favorite stories was to tell how Grandpa Wilson saved enough to buy them a piano and provide lessons for her and Marilyn. They played a lovely “Tea for Two” duet. She enjoyed accompanying Dad when it was time for his Christmas caroling in the living room. He particularly challenged her by loving “The Holy City” so much. She loved Christmas music: Johnny Mathis, Mitch Miller and the Gang, The Osmonds… the vinyl Christmas records from our home are well worn.
Mom loves her grandchildren and being with them was always her happiest enjoyment. She loved to have them over for sleepovers and movie nights. She loved to watch the Disney Channel with them. She was a big fan of “Bear in the Big Blue House”. The evening might be spent watching Wheel of Fortune while eating a popsicle. She loved to hear the grandchildren laugh and play. If they were happy, she was happy. She taught them how to make homemade dinner rolls and scones with honey butter, letting them help her in the kitchen. She made sure that every grandchild had an ornament and a stocking with their name on it at Grandma’s House. As the kids got older, she watched for opportunities to take them to breakfast or dinner on their birthdays, IHOP or Texas Roadhouse, so she and Dad could spend good time with them. She never missed an opportunity to share her testimony of Jesus Christ with her grandchildren and supported them in their missionary efforts both by word and example.
Mom is survived by her 4 children: Becky (Laron) Rasband, Amy, Emily (Darren) Gooch and Allen (Breinne) Roberds, her grandchildren, and two great grandsons. She is also survived by her brother Jay (LoraLee) Hammond, her sister Marilyn (Don) Pearson, Wayne’s brother Russell (Ruby) and a large family of nieces and nephews who would be able to share stories of her good and tender heart. Upon hearing of her passing, one niece wrote: “I am so sorry to have heard the world has lost the light of your wonderful mom. She was such a good and faithful mother, daughter, sister, friend and aunt.”
Our family is so thankful for Lela, Carson, and the staff at Copper Creek Senior Living who so carefully and respectfully watched over our parent for several years.
Linda’s funeral will be held on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 11:00 am in the Alpine 8th Ward Chapel, located at 890 North Heritage hills Drive, Alpine, Utah 84004. Family and friends are invited to attend visitation on Wednesday morning from 9:30-10:30 am prior to services at the church. Linda will be laid to rest at Wayne’s side in the Holt Family Cemetery on November 14, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.
Mom and Dad always made an effort of giving back when they could. With the holiday season coming up, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of their favorite causes 100 Humanitarians. 100H teaches and enables self-sufficiency among the people of Kenya. Their website is: 100Humanitarians.org/donate