Linda Eckman

Linda Lou Eckman, 78, passed away on February 8, 2023, in Rexburg, ID. She was born August 5, 1944, in Lafayette, Indiana to Helen F. and Byrel J. Coffman.
Linda graduated from South High School in Salt Lake City, UT in 1962. The year after graduation she married her high school sweetheart, Lewis M. Bateman in Salt Lake City. She and Lew resided in Utah while Lew was attending school and working for Utah Power and Light. While residing in Utah, they were blessed with two children: Robert and Traci.
Linda and Lew moved to Idaho where Lew continued to work for the power company and Linda worked at Rexburg Floral and First Security Bank.
Lew passed away in a work-related accident on March 10, 1978. After his passing, Linda fulfilled a lifelong dream to attend cosmetology school. She was proud to be in the first class to graduate Career Beauty College in 1980. There she met many lifelong friends.
Linda loved her career and enjoyed the many friendships she made with co-workers and clients. She worked at the beauty college salon, the Hair Affair and had her own salon for a couple of years prior to moving to California where she worked for Shear Elegance for the last 25 years of her career. Linda worked as a cosmetologist for almost 40 years until she retired 4 years ago.
Linda met the love of her life, Kenneth L. "Butch" Eckman after sparks flew when he asked her to dance. They were married a few months later in 1981 in Elko, Nevada. Linda was blessed to gain 5 "bonus" children: Todd, Tauna, Tama, Tara and Lynda. She adored them all. They resided in Hibbard, ID until moving to California in 1987. They lived there for 34 years before moving back to St. Anthony, ID in 2021.
Linda is survived by her sweetheart of 41 years, Kenneth; daughter Traci (Tal) Singleton, St. Anthony, ID; son Robert Bateman, Monterey, CA; Bonus-son Todd (Melanie) Eckman, Black Diamond, WA; Bonus-daughter Tama (Longhair) Warrior, Auburn, WA; Bonus-daughter, Lynda (Stuart) Schreiber, Rigby, ID; Bonus-son-in-law David Langridge, Kent, WA; brother Bill Coffman, Vacaville, CA; 17 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband, sister Barbara and brother-in-law Lynn Dabb, Sister-in-law Karen (Bill) Coffman, Bonus-daughter Tauna Langridge; Bonus-daughter Tara Scott; Granddaughter Destiny Bateman.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, February 16, 2023 at the Wilford LDS Chapel with Bishop Mark Pike officiating. Family will receive friends from 10:00-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Burial will be in the Rexburg Cemetery under the direction of Bert Flamm Mortuary.