Linda Cheryl Story

1948 - 2024

Linda Cheryl Story of Big Timber, MT passed October 11, 2024 after a brief battle with and complications from lung cancer. The third child of Jack D. Smith and Ruby H. (Empfield) Smith's four children, Linda was born in Basin, Wyoming on April 2, 1948. Linda attended several schools throughout Wyoming and Colorado growing up, graduating from Loveland High School in Colorado. After getting caught trying to elope, she and her husband of 58 years, Steve, married on December 11, 1965 in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Together, she and Steve raised their two children, Marla Lehn and Barton Lloyd, near the Colorado mountain town of Walden where they fully embraced and treasured the ranching way of life. Linda fell in love with Montana some 30 years ago when she and Steve relocated to continue ranching together on the Hobble Diamond Ranch. They then retired and continued to live near Big Timber until her passing.

When free time allowed, Linda enjoyed sewing and became quite well known for her skills with anything from fabric to leather. She made many clothes for the family early on, mended countless pairs of work jeans and later sewed leather garments for celebrities. She and Steve enjoyed repairing tack and saddles and she was known to tool a beautiful deep pattern making many treasured pieces for family and friends. Together, they also spent many hours in "Santa's Workshop" woodworking and making gifts and pieces they often donated for benefit auctions.

Linda lived large. She could rope, vaccinate, or brand the spring calves. She could drive a team of horses or tractor to feed the cows on a cold winter morning. She could run hay equipment like a pro and prepare a meal for a crew that would make your mouth water just from the thought of it. The smell of a good rain, fresh cut hay, and flowers of all kinds were some of her favorite simple pleasures that complimented a good day's work she never shied away from.

Known to be an avid elk hunter, she once shot a hole in the floorboard of the pickup in her rush to get a good shot. She would always act surprised and delighted when year after year her kids gifted her a fishing and small game hunting license for Mother's day. She could clear out a batch of pesky ground squirrels and enjoyed reeling in a rainbow trout from a cool mountain stream. While admiring the iridescent colors she would often say, "Isn't he a beauty?" with a tickled grin on her face. Linda loved the great outdoors and particularly enjoyed the high mountain timber and meadow valleys on a colorful fall day.

Linda was a grand advocate for agriculture chairing many committees and developing programs to help promote beef and industry awareness. One of her favorites was serving as the National Beef Cook-Off Registration Chairman. Always invested in her community, she was the assistant to the Jackson County Planner and Commissioners in North Park, Colorado for many years. She actively supported 4-H and FFA in both Colorado and Montana and donated many hours to their programs. Continuing the tradition and support of High School Rodeo, you would often find her in the grandstands on the weekends. Thankfully HS rodeo season didn't overlap the professional football season, as she was a Denver Broncos fan and enjoyed watching them play. Loyalty aside, being highly competitive, she has been known to bet against them in her football pool to increase her standing. She enjoyed pitching horseshoes and a good card game, when the opportunity came along.

Linda has four grandchildren and three great-grands she delighted in spending time with. Watching them grow up yielded many spring break adventures, hours on bleachers, miles traveled, and wonderful memories for her. Each of them carry her love for agriculture with them, making her proud and grateful for that way of life she dearly loved.

Linda is survived by her husband Steve, daughter Marla Story (CO) and son Bart (Lyndell) Story (MT). Grandchildren Cortney (Dan) Harrison (IL), Rayna (Nick) Vollmer (CO), Chance and Walker Story (MT) and great grandchildren, Wrenley, Binzley and Dax Belton Harrison; sister Karen Brown, sisters-in-law, Carol Story, Willadell (Toots) Ihrke, Amy Brewster, and many, many nephews and nieces spanning several generations.

Linda is preceded in death by her parents, brother Maynard D. Smith, sister Sandra S. Fisher, brothers and sisters-in-law, William P. Brown, Jon Fisher, Ralph and Marlene (Story) Sides, Larry and Georgia Lee (Dodie Story) Fay, O Rex Story, Don Ihrke and Stan Brewster.

A social gathering to reminisce and enjoy family and friends will be held in the Ag Pavilion at the Sweet Grass County Fairgrounds in Big Timber, MT, from 11am-2pm on Saturday, October 19, 2024. She has asked that any donations be made to Platte Valley FFA of Kersey, Colorado, Montana HS Rodeo Assoc. or North Park Museum of Walden, Colorado. Please send them to Stenberg Funeral Home, PO Box 723, Big Timber, MT, 59011 where they will be forwarded to the program of your choice.

To leave condolences for the family please visit www.stenbergfuneralhome.com