July 26, 1947 - July 8, 2026

Linda Crawford was born on July 26, 1947, in Charleston, West Virginia, to Sarah Gretchen Whitworth Lester and John Wellington Lester. She was the third of three children: Johanna Lester and Wayne Lester. The middle name Lee was a family name.

She attended Ripley High School, where she studied French, and Spencer High School, from which she graduated. She attended Glenville State Teachers College studying theater. She moved to Memphis where her sister, Johanna, was living. There she worked for a Dinner Theater, then as a dental assistant. She also attended Memphis State University.
When her father became sick with cancer and moved to Memphis for care at the VA, she helped her mother care for him and also for her brother Wayne, who was a disabled vet. She worked for the US Postal Service in the bulk mail center where she met her husband, Donald Crawford, with whom she had a son, David Seth Crawford. She and David returned to West Virginia when David was 10 years old and lived in Ripley. Linda was a wonderful mother and devoted herself to homeschooling him, giving him a solid foundation to succeed in getting scholarships and doing well in college. Later, when her mother was getting older and not able to care for herself, she sacrificed her own needs to move out on the farm at Pink in Calhoun County to care for her until her mother died at 100 in January of 2018. She continued to live out on the farm until she moved to an apartment in Arnoldsburg. She became severely ill and was taken for treatment to the hospital in Parkersburg, then to Miletree Nursing Home, where she died July 8, 2026.

She is preceded in death by her father, John Lester; her brother, Wayne Lester; her nephew, Loren Lamb; her uncle, Paul Morgan Lester, and her stillborn baby, John B.

She leaves a son, David Seth Crawford of Querétaro, Mexico; her sister, Johanna Lester of St. Paul, Minnesota; a niece, Molly Lamb of Quincy, MA; and a true friend, Sandy Morrison of Spencer, West Virginia.

All her life, Linda was an avid reader, especially of the Bible. Her faith was strong, and she took time to talk with others about the Lord. Linda was much loved by us all. Her life was a blessing.

A memorial service will be held on August 2, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Walnut Memorial Church, 1941 Walnut Road Chole, WV 25235 with Pastor Lester Tanner officiating.

Taylor‑Vandale Funeral Home and Monument Company is honored to serve the family of Linda Crawford.