Linda Lou Carr
October 16, 1941 — October 1, 2022
Linda Lou Carr
Dad always said it was appropriate that Linda’s birthday was on bosses’ day.
Linda was born on October 16, 1941, in Troy, Michigan, to John and Lucille Bonsteel. The 9 th of 12 children, she lived on a small farm until she was 18, when she moved to Los Angeles by herself to live with two of her sisters.
She met Lorence in Gardena at a church activity, and they married in the Los Angeles Temple on May 14, 1966. Their wedding date had to be moved up after Dad was drafted into the army. They lived in California, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana and Nevada during their 56 years of marriage, with 46 of them in the Norwalk house.
A faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she served in many callings in Primary and Young Women in the church. She served a mission that always brought her great joy where she cooked meals for the students at the Institute of Religion in Cerritos.
Raising 6 kids and, at times, 11 grandchildren, Linda, a dedicated stay at home mother, found space in her schedule to work as a noon supervisor at the elementary school, as well as babysitting and retail work.
In her free time, as if moms have any free time, she loved to read, watch game shows (Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune) and movies (Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter and James Bond). She LOVED James Bond movies and good parties. She hosted many baby showers and the world-famous, Carr July 3 rd party.
She had a great sense of humor and showed her love by giving you a hard time. She was well known and loved for her famous chocolate chip and butterscotch cookies, sugar cookies and apple pies. If you ever needed the right greeting card, she was the greeting card whisperer. Everyone loved to receive a card from her.
And she carried that farm-raised strength into her battles against heart and kidney disease with courage and grace.
She is survived by; her husband, Niles Lorence Carr, Jr., her children, Michele (Ken) Bolton, Niles Carr III, Kym Leyva, Meri Underhill, Wendy Carr and Andy (Julie) Carr, her grandchildren, Nyk (Lisandro) Underhill, Amanda Underhill, Jonathan (Destinee) Bolton, Katie Underhill, Ammon Underhill, Logyn Bolton, Rachel Underhill, Jay Carr, Logan Carr, Ian Leyva and Ellie Carr, as well as her siblings, Penny (Don) Lockard, Gail (Ellis) Hatch, Russel (Marie) Bonsteel, her in laws, David (Lynn) Carr and Nilas Bauer, and many nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors.
Linda passed October 1, 2022, in Downey.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests a donation be made in her name to the American Heart Association or the American Kidney Association.
Luyben Dilday Mortuary (562) 425-6401
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