Linda Marie Birkenhagen

Linda Marie Birkenhagen
February 17, 1952 - November 24, 2014
Kurt Birkenhagen's love letter to his dear wife, Linda…
To my darling wife,
Today I realized there have been many times during our marriage that we've been apart. This, however, is the first day we are no longer together. No packing or unpacking, no next week or next month, or I'll call you tonight when I get there. But if life and love are grounded in memories, ours will last forever.
Travel was my passion and you went with me, not for the adventure, but out of love. You would have been just as happy riding your horse up our mountain to watch the sun go down. You loved working in the yard, doing things around the house, I didn't. You did your best to domesticate me while I fought it with every bone in my body. Today I would give anything to have one more opportunity to help you clean out the barn, plant flowers, or even pull weeds.
Some men look for the perfect match, I met mine. You were just as stubborn and headstrong as I was, losing wasn't in either of our vocabularies. The heat of our battles was second only to the passion that burned in our hearts. Making up always made the fighting worth it. We were meant for one another. God smiled on me the day you came into my life. We both were collectors, filling our home with mementos of the world. As I walk around the house today, things I once thought of as trash, I see now as some of my most prized possessions. Little pieces of you in every nook and cranny. Trinkets that are now treasures.
I had just told you I was ready to settle down, where is that? How do I get there without you? I have never been more unsettled. I understand death, I'm a doctor, but I don't think I ever really understood loss until today. The emptiness I feel cannot be filled, but it will be kept at bay by the memories. You were my Breck girl in cowboy boots and blue jeans. You were footprints in the sand and sweet perfume. Leather saddles and lace, a slow dance in the moonlight, a cup of coffee in the morning. You were humming birds and fresh cotton sheets. You were, and will always be, my everything. In case I didn't say it enough, I love you.
Kurt
Linda Marie Birkenhagen, 62, passed away unexpectedly, Monday, November 24, 2014 at her home in Pocatello of natural causes. She was born February 17, 1952 in Gooding, Idaho, daughter of Cline and Violet Mink.
She is survived by her loving husband W. Kurt Birkenhagen, Pocatello, Idaho; children, Jeff Rogers, Chris Rogers, Christopher Birkenhagen, and Ronna White; siblings, Roy Mink, Larry Mink, Rhonda Dockstader, Darlene McCloud; grandchildren, Anna, Dillon, Kerina, and Gage. She was preceded in death by her parents.
A Celebration of Life, in Linda's honor, will be held at 4:30 PM Tuesday, December 2, 2014, at Grace Lutheran Church, 1350 Baldy, Pocatello, Idaho 83201.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Idaho Food Bank, 555 S. 1st Ave, Pocatello, ID 83201 (208) 233-8811 or All Under One Roof, 838 East Clark Street Pocatello, ID 83201 (208) 251-1661
Arrangements are under the care of Colonial Funeral Home 2005 S. 4th Ave. Pocatello, ID 208-233-1500.
Condolences can be made to the family online at www.colonial-funeralhome.com