Linda Sue Whittenton Little, 85, of Kellyville, Oklahoma, left this world and entered a new life in heaven on Saturday, November 2, 2024.

Linda was born in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, on September 1, 1939, to Ocea and Vera Whittenton. She attended Kellyville Public School and graduated in 1957 as the Student Representative for her class. In her early years, Linda had many dreams, aspiring to become a ballerina, an airline stewardess, and even a nun. During her teenage years, she played basketball for Kellyville High School and explored her love for the arts through writing poetry and song lyrics.

Linda found her first and only love when she began dating Pete Little at 15. Their youthful romance blossomed over the next four years, even while Linda moved to Hutchinson, Kansas, to attend business school for one of those years. The couple eventually married at Kellyville First Methodist Church in 1959 and attended church at Kellyville First Baptist Church, where Linda had earlier given her life to Christ at age 9.

Ten months after they exchanged vows, Linda and Pete welcomed their first child, Susan Lynn, into the world in 1960. Just when Linda thought her family was complete, she discovered she was pregnant again. In 1968, Linda and Pete celebrated the arrival of their second daughter, Angela Jane. The couple enjoyed sharing the role of parents with their two children, but as the years passed and both children left home, Linda and Pete's marriage transformed from a partnership into a profound friendship and bond that lasted 65 years.

To know Linda was to Love Linda. She was a private person with a servant's heart, and she possessed an immense capacity for love and empathy for those in her inner circle, consistently placing the needs of others ahead of her own. She was the epitome of support and loyalty and was eager to be a cheerleader or a comforting presence for her daughters, her friends, and anyone she encountered who needed to be heard. As a grandmother, she treasured her role, showering her four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren with love and affection and delighted in the opportunity to spoil them.

Linda cherished her lifelong friendships with Judy Binns McAnulty and Shirley Denham Andrew, and her new friendships formed while living in Stroud with Becky Clark, Nancy Miller, Nola Ring, and Patsy Poskey.

Professionally, Linda worked as a caseworker for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission from 1960 to 1967, helping countless individuals navigate their employment challenges. Later, she took on the role of bookkeeper at Sentry Hardware, her brother's business, where she assisted in the financial well-being of the operation. As a partner in her husband Pete's horse training business, she utilized her skills in accounting, marketing, and, at times, collections, contributing to the success of their venture.

Linda discovered a passion for antiques and collectibles, finding joy in buying and selling unique items. Each piece was a discovery with a rich history and narrative, as were the meaningful conversations and connections with the people she met. Her in-home business became a cherished space to display her treasured finds and share them and the stories of how she found them with the next owner.

Linda is lovingly remembered by her husband, Pete Little; daughter, Angela Bennett, and her husband, Rick of Kellyville; son-in-law, Charlie Watson of Mounds; her cherished grandchildren: Lindsey Edwards and her husband Addam of Chelsea; Laney Pearson of Alice, Texas; Caiman Davidson and his wife Nicole of Laramie, Wyoming; and Elizabeth Davidson of Tulsa. She is also survived by her treasured great-grandchildren, McKenzie, Treigh, Luke, and Taytom, who brought immense joy to her life, along with nine nieces, nephews, and their spouses.

Linda is now walking in heaven with her parents, Ocea and Vera Tarr Whittenton; her beloved daughter, Susan Watson; and her siblings, Eloise Staiger, JoAnn Romine, and Jack Whittenton.

In honor of Linda's compassionate spirit and dedication to helping others, the family invites donations to be made in her memory to her favorite charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, at stjude.org, or to Kellyville First Baptist Church, institutions she deeply valued and supported throughout her life.

Memorial services will be 2pm, Friday, November 8, 2024, at the First Baptist Church, 306 E. Camden, Kellyville, OK.

Arrangements are under the direction of Traditions Funeral Home in Kellyville.