Linda Mason Childress left this earthly world on Wednesday, May 11th 2022, long before any of us were ready for her to go.  But, oh, we are so much better for having known her!   Born to Robert (Bob) and Helen Mason on April 28 ^th 1951, Linda was known by all in the Moncure community for both her incredible beauty and her unwavering devotion to family and friends.

Linda always considered herself a proud North Carolina farm woman, which she proved through countless summers in the tobacco fields along Moncure Flatwood Road.  Likewise, she showed us for years to come that her marvelous "green thumbs" were a true inheritance bestowed by a long, and proud line of Ellis and Mansfield ancestors.  Linda quickly followed in the footsteps of her mother Helen, and her Granny Peele through her respect for hard work, her aide to all neighbors, and her unwavering faith in God.

It was Linda's physical beauty that covered this strong moral core, and which catapulted her to the forefront of all beholders.  As Miss Pittsboro of 1970, Linda was the glamorous young woman that Frankie Valli sang to us about, " too good to be true and can't take my eyes off you ."  However, her heart belonged to another already, the love of her life Jerry Childress.  Their young but doubtless love resulted in a bright June wedding in 1970 amongst the pecans they cherished at Bob and Helen's home.

Together Linda and Jerry started their lives like so many of that generation, reliant upon their love for each other, and a determination to succeed through hard work and a faith in each other.  Always together, Linda and Jerry worked side-by-side to grow their lives and their family in the same proud traditions in which they had grown.  Linda's keen business sense and drive to succeed became her hallmarks.  Her children, Chad, Brandy, and Nicole quickly became the focus of her constant devotion and still serve as the true testaments of her wonderful existence.  However, it was her "Grand's" or her grandchildren, which really brought out the "Mama Bear" that we all recognize today – ferocious in her love and faith for each new addition.

In her greatest hour of personal need, Linda never wavered from a clear focus on the truly important things – family, friends, and a belief in God's grace.  After the tragic loss of many loved ones in March 2020, Linda suffered a pain that all recognized as unbearable.  Through this adversity, she demanded that we never forget the love of family, the sanctity of strong friendships, and the pride felt from this so honorable life.  Throughout all this journey, and in death, Linda Mason Childress remained the sister, friend, mother, and the "Grand' that she believed we all deserve.

Please join Jerry and the extended Childress family on Moncure Flatwood Road, and their many friends to celebrate this wonderful woman.   Visitation will occur Saturday, May 14 ^th from 6:00 till 8:00 PM at Smith's Funeral Home in Broadway, NC, and the Rites of Burial will occur on Sunday, May 15 ^th at 3:00pm at New Elam Christian Church in New Hill, NC. Online condolences can be made at www.smithfuneralhomebroadway.com