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DAMER, LINDA KAY, 76, of Mt. Pleasant passed away Friday, September 18, 2015, at Crestwood Village Assisted Living in Mt. Pleasant.

Graveside Services will take place Sunday, September 27, 2015, at Fisher Cemetery, Saint Clair, Franklin County, Missouri. A Memorial Service for Linda will be held on November 21, 2015 at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan, 319 S. University Avenue, Mt. Pleasant with Dawn Daniels officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the Linda K. Damer Music Education Fund at Indiana State University, 300 North 7th Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809. Envelopes will also be available at the service as well as Clark Family Funeral Chapel, 114 S. Bradley Street, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.


Linda was born in Springfield, IL, on December 5, 1938, the daughter of James Frederick and Mary Jane (Thurmond) Welsh. She graduated from Springfield High School, earned a BA in music at William Jewel College in Liberty, Missouri and received an MA in Music Education from Boston University. For twenty years, she was a music teacher and choral director for public schools in Missouri, Massachusetts, Virginia, and North Carolina. Linda earned her EdD in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She was a professor in the Music Department at Indiana State University from 1978-2006. Through her enthusiasm and dedication, she inspired, trained and mentored hundreds of music educators. She was a tireless advocate for arts education in public schools and served in various leadership positions in state and national music educator organizations. An accomplished musician, she played the piano, organ, and violin, among other instruments, serving as an organist and choir director for several churches.

Linda was an avid traveler, visiting all 50 states and dozens of countries, including living and working for a year in Australia. Through her selfless, fun-loving personality and unparalleled generosity of spirit, Linda developed friendships across the globe. Above all, she was a loving and caring mother to three children and six grandchildren.

Linda is survived by her children, Diana Damer (Dan Malinowski) of Austin, TX; Cynthia Damer (Scott Daigle) of Mt. Pleasant, MI, and John Damer (Laura) of Chicago, IL; 6 grandchildren, Sela, Sofia, Roman, Dylan, Natalie, and Jolie; and brother, Kenneth Welsh (Helen) of Florissant, MO.

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