Linda Ann Gibbs

1948 - 2025

Linda Ann Gibbs, age 77, of Fort Benton, Montana, died early Monday morning, July 14, 2025, in Fort Benton at her home. Linda passed away peacefully, attended by members of her family.

Her funeral service will be Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 10:00 o'clock in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2211 Saint Charles St., in Fort Benton. A public viewing will begin at 9:00 a.m. A graveside service will be the same day in Lewistown, Montana at 3:00 p.m. at the Lewistown City Cemetery.

February is a deep snow month in the tiny town of McCloud, Siskiyou County, California. And it was with difficulty that Linda's mother, Joyce Claudia Farris, made it to town on February 4, 1948, to give birth to Linda. Linda's father, Fred Owen Farris, was a cowhand on a ranch some distance from town. The outstanding characteristic of Linda's mother was her love for animals. Her father Fred made his living on horseback wrangling livestock. So, it was only natural that from her earliest years Linda's life was immersed with animals of all kinds. However, her love of horses stood out from all the rest. She worked, played, and even napped on the back of a horse! Later in life Linda would be well-known for her ability to train horses in all types of performance-- Western, English, Dressage, Driving-it simply didn't matter. She could encourage a horse to cooperate and submit to her hands, legs, heels and voice.

In 1951 the little family grew to include Linda's brother Daniel Owen. The family moved around to work on ranches in Nevada and California. These were sometimes remote places that also provided opportunities to explore. Linda remembered her mother joining her in digging into the dirt looking for fossils, arrowheads, or just interesting rocks. Linda kept up this hobby of looking for and collecting interesting rocks until just the last few years when she could not get

outside anymore. After a time the family settled in Weaverville, California, where Linda began Elementary school and finished High School, graduating in 1966. As you might expect, her favorite singers were Ricky Nelson, Fabian and Dion. She loved the "Tammy" movies with Doris Day. Her favorite male actor was Fess Parker as Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone.

In 1968 at age 20 Linda became acquainted with two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She immediately quizzed them on what happens to her animals after they die. To her joy she was taught that all creatures, great and small, were created by God, who will receive them when they die to prepare for the resurrection day. After investigating the church further, she chose to be baptized a member. Linda had deep faith in her Lord Jesus Christ, and was committed to doing her best to follow Him. She found great fulfillment in serving in the church in many capacities, including leadership capacities. One of her most treasured experiences was serving for 3 years with her husband, Wes, as ordinance workers in the Cardston Alberta Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Linda attended college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where she earned a BA degree in English. She loved college life in an uplifting environment. She had a very refined side to her, enjoying writing, creating art, and reading literature. While working in Provo following graduation, Linda met and married Wes Gibbs of Buffalo, MT, a BYU student who had recently returned from a two-year church mission to Chile. The couple were married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on January 20, 1978. Following Wes' graduation,

the couple returned to Montana to begin various careers that took them from Montana to Washington, D.C., and back again.

Linda and Wes were overjoyed when their family expanded in 1987 to include a son, Joseph Owen. Then again in 1989 with the arrival of a daughter, Melody Claire. The family was ranching near Buffalo at this time. The kids could not escape a life filled with many hours on horseback, involved with 4-H, playing with dear cousins, and small community life. While working as a stay-at-home mom, Linda purchased and published an 80-page monthly horse magazine, The Montana Horseman's Journal. She carried on this huge undertaking from

a home office for about eight years. Linda was a great organizer, a talented and professional administrator. Over the years her work included being a probation officer, Congressional executive secretary, school district clerk, and letter carrier. She managed the Dedman Animal Shelter in Fort Benton for a time. She was a

member of the Fort Benton Womens Club and liked to volunteer her service in her church and community.

Linda faced and overcame many challenges throughout her life. Her victory over breast cancer in 2008 was a severe test. Her dementia/Alzheimer diagnosis 12 years ago has been perhaps the last test. It may have taken her mind and body, but now she can claim the victory.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her brother Daniel Farris (Deborah); husband Wes of Fort Benton; son Joseph Gibbs (Courtney) and their children Lara, Owen and Kathryn; and daughter Melody Evans and her sons Hadley and Britton.