Linda Lou (Kerch) Grant, 80, of Columbia City, passed away at 4:05 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at her home.

Born on October 28, 1944, at the Linvill Hospital in Columbia City, Indiana she was the only child of Lloyd F. and Rosemary (Miller) Kerch.  She was baptized on November 19, 1944, at the St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church.

As a child, she attended Columbia Township School from 1951 to 1959.  During that time, she helped on the farm, took piano lessons, participated in 4-H, and attended Sunday School and Bible lessons at St. John Lutheran Church.  She was confirmed at St. John on March 22, 1959, and was the Whitley County Spelling Bee Champion in 1959.

She graduated from Columbia City Joint High School with the class of 1963.  During high school, she participated in Future Teachers of America, the Sunshine Society, Cheer block, and the Commercial Club.  She also taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School at St. John.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at Valparaiso University on June, 1967. During her summer vacations, she was employed as a long-distance operator with the United Telephone Company in Columbia City from 1964 – 1967.  On March 1, 1967, she had her first date with Michael Grant, a student at Valpo Tech.  They went to dinner and saw the movie "The Mikado."  They became engaged on Labor Day weekend, 1967.

She taught fifth grade at Forest Park Elementary in Fort Wayne during the 1967-1968 school year.

On March 30, 1968, she married Michael L. Grant at St. John Lutheran Church.  In June 1968 (after the school year ended), Linda joined Mike at their first home in Paxton, Illinois, near Chanute Air Force Base, where Mike was stationed.  During that summer, she worked at a transformer company in Paxton.  In September 1968, Mike was transferred to Grissom Air Force Base near Peru, Indiana.  Linda substituted in the Peru City Schools and taught fourth grade in the spring of 1969 and fifth grade in the fall of 1969.  Following Mike's discharge from the Air Force, they returned to Whitley County and purchased two acres from Linda's parents in January 1970.  They lived in a house trailer until they started building their house in 1974.  In the spring of 1970, she began teaching third grade at South Whitley Elementary.  In the fall of 1970, she was given the position teaching fifth grade.  In June 1972, she received her Master of Elementary Education from St. Francis College.  She continued teaching fifth grade at South Whitley Elementary until her retirement in June 2004.

During her teaching career, she was a Whitko Classroom Teachers Association member and served as its building representative and treasurer. She was a member of the Indiana State Teacher's Association and the National Education Association.  She was also a member of the Indiana State Reading Association.

She is a member of St. John Lutheran Church, where she has served as a Sunday School teacher, Vacation Bible School teacher, Weekday School teacher, chairman of the Board of Education, recording secretary of the Church Council, secretary of the Fellowship Circle, Church Historian, and is a member of the Lutheran Women's Missionary League, and served as vice chairman and chairman of Fort Wayne North Zone.

She is a member of the Whitley County Historical Society and has served as its vice president.  She is a member of the Music Box Society International and its Mid-America Chapter.  She is a member of the Carousel Organ Owners Association and the Whitley County Retired Teachers' Association, where she served as vice president and president.

Linda's hobbies include gardening, reading, cooking, stamping, and doing crafts.  She enjoyed traveling with Mike to Carousel Organ and Music Box organ rallies, listening to their band organs and movies with friends and family in Mike's movie theater, walking in their woods, and listening to her Alaskan Malemute, Sitka.

Surviving is her loving husband, Mike.

Visitation is from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday (February 27th) at Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City.  The funeral service is at 2 p.m. Friday (February 28th) at St John Lutheran Church, 2465 W Keiser Road, Columbia City, with visitation 1 hour prior.

Memorials in Linda's honor are to St John Lutheran Church or Humane Society of Whitley County.