Linda Gemmill

Gemmill, Linda Gayle (Miller); went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on March 29, 2025. Born on May 2, 1950, to Joyce Holzinger Miller and George Wallace Miller, in Ludington, Michigan. Her brothers, Craig Miller and Rod Miller, survive her. She attended St John's Lutheran School and graduated from Spring Lake High School in 1968 and maintained her friendship with Paula Morse Bourdon over the years. Her babysitting and carhop earnings on roller skates, earned her way to a diploma from Ferris State University’s dental assistant’s program. After graduating, she moved to Kalamazoo, and worked as a secretary for Continental Linen, before landing a position with local dentist, Dr. Mengle, DDS and soon discovered that was not the career for her. Linda joined Immanuel Lutheran Church, and a fellow member suggested that she interview with GMAC, the General Motors financing division for cars and light trucks. Her circle of friends grew, as she interacted with salespeople, finance, insurance people and dealer principals. In 1986, she processed 5124 car and truck sales, a record yet to be broken, during a 2.9% financing program.

In her time at Immanuel Lutheran, she developed a growing circle of friendships, with one of whom she jointly audited the church books; Joe B Gemmill, a financial advisor, in the early years of his practice. They dated for two years, and Linda saw Joe through two bouts of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. With him in remission, they were married on September 12, 1986, with Pastor Jim Wilson-Garisson officiating. They honeymooned in the Pocono’s, a highly acclaimed destination at the time, designed with much younger couples, as it turned out. Joe swan-dove onto the heart-shaped bed, yielded a bloody nose, as it was foam-covered plywood, with other amusing stories.

Linda and Joe first resided on North 10th Street and the 1962 ranch house needed some of Linda’s decorative touches, which she enjoyed. Colleagues from Joe’s office helped place bundles of shingles on the roof peak, ready for the two newlyweds to re-roof. They finished successfully, vowing to call professionals, if the urge to nail shingles ever came up again

Linda and Joe enjoyed several company-conventions in Michigan, San Fransico, Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, a trip to Hawaii with her cousin Dianna Vermeer Ward and a cruise to the Bahamas and Cozumel Mexico. Linda also loved her sewing group that met in the Vissers Plat, making many of her own clothes and enjoying the friendships that grew and continued for years.

Linda and Joe both wanted to have a family and because of Joe’s previous chemo, they explored in-vitro, with much hope. Finally, an early miscarriage ended that journey, with adoption being the next path. After another three years, Joe got a call in the middle of a client meeting at his office from the agency owner in Overland Park Kansas. “Bradley was born today. Do you want to come down and get him.”

The flight attendant on the plane home, said to Linda, “Oh, you look SO good!” Linda said, “Thank you!” When they landed in Kalamazoo, they were greeted with over 30 well-wishers, with signs and ballons and huge banner on the garage door, “Welcome Home Bradley”.

During the in-vitro attempts and adoption wait, Linda took a job at Educational Employee’s Credit Union, now Arbor, in the Home Equity Loan processing department, having stepped away from GMAC for more favorable hours.

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Linda immediately embraced the full-time mom role, as the Gemmill’s had just broken ground on their financial planning office in Oshtemo. Joe’s time was spread being a dad, a financial advisor and working with the builder on parts of the construction.

Linda and Joe joined “Third Reformed Church”, now Centerpoint and developed many relationships in Bible Studies and still maintained friends at Immanuel Lutheran, ringing in the New Year at Pete and Chris Wilkins home from the ‘80’s right up until 2023.

Linda loved going to the Marching Band Competitions, with Bradley on Drumline, at Kalamazoo Central, Hastings, Grandville and other southwest Michigan Cities. Some of the same cities were locations where her scrap-booking group met, including Crystal Mountain, where many photo books were filled and more friendships developed.

Linda and Joe found their Bible Study groups had begun to dissolve and they sought a smaller church that was recommend by one of Linda’s scrapbook friends: Hope Church. Linda and Joe were active in Bible study and the Senior Ministry.

During Brad’s late high school years, Linda devoted herself to dealing with his growing addiction challenges. She sought counselors, treatment centers, prayer, and support groups. These were very tough years for her family, but her faith in God never ceased. After a couple of terrifying seizures, Brad came to recover at home and then found a job in 2019 at Gilmore Center for Healing, the very institution that helped him get sober. To Linda’s delight, he became a Health Care Associate, helping others seek sobriety.

In 2021, now that Brad was in recovery, Linda sought a personal path to being healthy, with nutrition and exercise. Linda’s annual mammogram revealed the need for both surgery and radiation. With that behind her, she headed out to begin a walking program, only to discover a “insufficiency fracture” in her knee, which then lead to a full knee replacement. The healing and PT went well, but some confusion then lead to further testing, revealing Lewy Body Dementia. Aricept initially staved off the progression, but an L3-L4 spinal nerve issue resulted in radiating pain back into the surgical leg. On September 12th, the pain resulted in hospitalization and a recommendations for full-time memory care, where Linda entered Park Village Pines Crystal Woods Memory Care Facility.

Linda loved the Lord and trusted Him, even through the trials of addiction, cancer and surgery. She supported many charities, especially The Alzheimer’s Association and The American Cancer Association being those that she asks that donations to be made to, in lieu of flowers. Visitation will be on April 12th at 12:00 noon at Hope Church 910 Jenks Blvd, off West Main, in Kalamazoo. A memorial service will follow at 1PM at the same location. Light refreshments will follow in the Fellowship Hall.

While visiting Linda’s webpage at www.amsfuneralhomes.com please sign the guestbook and/or share a memory with the family.

The family is being assisted by Avink, McCowen & Secord Funeral Home; 120 S. Woodhams St. Plainwell, MI 49080 (269-685-5881).