Linda Sneed, 73, of Hereford, Texas passed away on Sunday, January 19, 2025, in Hereford surrounded by her loving family. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at 10:30 A.M. at the Central Church of Christ in Hereford with Minister and husband Denny Sneed officiating. Burial of Cremains will follow at 2:30 P.M. at the Idalou Cemetery in Idalou, Texas under the direction of Mendez and Mullins Family Funeral Home. A Family and Friend Visitation will be on Friday, January 24, 2025, from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. at the funeral home.

Linda Dianne (Anderson) Sneed was born in Hobbs, Lea County, New Mexico on Monday, March 5, 1951, to parents Charles Melton Anderson and Betty Ray (Harkins) who later divorced in 1957. In April 1958, Eddie (H.E.) Shipman married her mother, and he became more than a stepfather to Linda. He was "Daddy."

She graduated from Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas (1969) and from South Plains Jr. College in Levelland, Texas (1971) with a dream to become a teacher. Denny and Linda met at Globe Shopping City (a department store) in Lubbock, Texas. They both worked at the Sun Room instore-restaurant (hired within a month or so of each other). Though Denny never really seemed to notice Linda, she fell in love with him almost from the beginning. Their story of how they started dating is comical. Who would have guessed that a fateful trip to a walk-in refrigerator would have ended in a date to go roller skating and then 3 months later, to a marriage that has spanned the globe with many personal struggles and to have continued to blossom this many years later?

She became a Christian in April of 1971, baptized at the Parkway Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas. She then married her very best friend, (who brought her to Christ), Denny Ray Sneed, on Friday, July 30, 1971. "Their song" was "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis. Their favorite sayings to each other were: "La Vie" and 143 which stood for "I Love You."

She was a faithful and supportive wife throughout their marriage. In their many years together, they lived in: Lubbock, Idalou, Lefors, Levelland, Earth (all in Texas); five (5) years in Donetsk, Ukraine (teaching in the Ukrainian Bible Institute); Broken Arrow, Oklahoma nine (9) months; Roscoe, Texas, two (2) years in Glenrothes, Scotland (as missionaries); Arlington, Texas (22 months); Borger, Texas (7 ½ years) and then moving to Hereford, Texas in October 2019.

She had a deep love for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. In 1994, Linda became a Texas certified interpreter. Also in 1994, she and a deaf acquaintance together established to first Christian Camp for the Deaf in Texas which was later moved to Oklahoma. All the youths she taught Songs in Sign Language, for various Leadership Training for Christ programs, all came home with gold medals. Though she lived most of her life away from the deaf, she refused to let go of her sign skills. To keep her skills from totally vanishing, it was a common site for her to sign the songs during the song service (for herself and not for entertainment). She did that wherever she went. In Earth and in Borger, Texas, she taught a basic Sign Language class.

She was gifted in learning languages. She learned to speak (and write) Spanish and Russian as well as learning American, Russian, and British Sign Language. She was also skilled in the art of calligraphy and cake decorating. In addition to looking forward to the future and striving to live a Christian life, fit for heaven, she looked back at the past through genealogical research. Through her research, she learned about her family (and Denny's family), appreciating the sacrifices they made and understanding more about the people whose lives indirectly helped shape her.

She loved to write and wrote many Bible class lessons, plays, children's stories as well as her own life story. Writing curriculums that introduced and encouraged children to become interested in missions was yet another of her deep passions. She taught Bible classes ranging from Cradle Roll through women's Bible classes. Side note: while she had a talent for many things, sewing was not one of them.

Linda loved their two daughters, Kimberly and Susan, very much and was so proud of them. Denny and Linda lost one baby at 5 months of pregnancy when Kim was almost 6 and Susan almost 3. But the family survived the loss and grew stronger. They survived a house fire in Earth, Texas in March of 1989, again growing stronger as a family.

Years later, Kim and Susan (after marrying), had to share Momma and Daddy when the grandchildren came. They were such a joy to her. When the grandchildren were still very young, she would write letters to them (the old-fashioned, handwritten kind). She looked forward to their visits and their phone calls. The grandchildren called her "Momma Linda." In addition to Kim and Susan, Denny and Linda were very fond of a Ukrainian girl whom they became very close to when living in Donetsk, Ukraine. Katya helped fill the lonely spots in their hearts when they were separated by thousands of miles and hours from Kim and Susan. She also developed a close relationship, which continues to this day though now thousands of miles away in Germany with her family, husband Sergej Banko, and children: Daniel, Michelle, Elizabeth (Lisa), Anastasia (Nastya), and Ksenya.

Linda was a faithful member (and minister's wife) of the New Testament church, worshipping and working most recently with the congregation known as the Church of Christ at Hereford.

Linda is preceded in death by her parents, Eddie & Betty (Harkins) Shipman. Linda is survived by her husband Denny Ray Sneed of fifty-three and one-half years; two (2) daughters: Kimberly Stambaugh and husband Phil of Roanoke, TX; Susan Sheppard and husband Tim of Lewisville TX; four (4) granddaughters, Ashlee and Emmalee Sheppard, Hope and Grace Stambaugh; three (3) sisters: Doris Wilson of Wolfforth, Debbie Wren and husband Steve of Shallowater, Jody Harris and husband Steve of McAdoo (all of Texas). Also, numerous nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Though she loved her family very much, she loved the Lord most of all.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Sunset International Bible Institute Deaf Department 3723 34th St. Lubbock TX 79410 or Ukrainian Bible Institute c/o Sunset International Bible Institute 3723 34th St. Lubbock TX 79410.