Linda Self Rodgers

After graduation, I attended one year of college at what was then called ETSU in Commerce.

In 1971 I worked for the Dept of HUD at the Federal Bldg in Dallas. And, in 1972 I married Frank McDonald of the class of 1968.

When my first child, Brian, was born, I became a stay-at-home Mom for a while and then my second child, Chris, came along in 1975. My daughter, Courtney, came along in 1980.

For a while I was secretary to Zadabeth Uland (Trudy's Mom) at First Baptist Church Plano (my church home). Then in 1976, we moved to The Colony.

In 1978, I began my 25 year career with Merico in Carrollton. Through the years the company was owned by Anheuser Busch (resulting in a company move to St. Louis), Earthgrains, and finally Sara Lee Corporation. My career took me from secretary to Vendor Managed Inventory Coordinator (Supply Chain Management).

While living in Missouri, Frank and I divorced in 1997, was single for 5 years, met Bobby and remarried, lost my Mother and both brothers.

In 2008 and after making it through many buyouts, Sara Lee restructured resulting in a large layoff that finally hit me after 25 years and I immediately came back to Plano…HOME. In 2009, I started with McAfee/Intel in Plano and worked until 2012.

I was so grateful to have been able to come back to Plano so I could spend more time with my Dad. He died October 2011.

After my Dad's death, Bobby and I moved moved into Daddy's house on Crestridge Dr. I love being here again within the walls of where I grew up.

God has blessed me in so many ways the last 40 years……some things I wish had been different and some not.... My true legacy is my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

My husband, Bobby has been legally blind almost the entire time we've been married so I am somewhat a caretaker for him. I'm involved in church activities at my church, Providence Church in East Plano. I also lead my church's nursing home ministry as we serve The Collinwood in East Plano.

In December 2015, I had to have my right kidney removed because they incidentally discovered a large tumor that was just shy of spreading. So I told the doctor to go ahead and take the whole kidney and everything he needed to....after all, God gave us two.

They say getting older is not for sissies......I know that's true for a variety of reasons, but I'm still kicking and glad to be alive!

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