“We all need to live by the golden rule and accept others for who they are,” encourages Linda Synder. A mom of five who ambitiously earned her associate’s degree in accounting at the age of 54, Linda has a unique outlook on life. She’s braved many chapters, even transitioning from “city girl” to “farm girl,” and now calls Ohio Living Mount Pleasant home.
Linda was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio. She met her first husband in high school, and they married and had five children together – four daughters and one son. Her daughters all graduated from Madison High School and participated in the school band and drill team. Her son graduated from Fenwick High School and played football during his high school years. After 32 years of marriage, the couple decided to part ways.
The closing of one chapter helped to initiate another, and Linda made the decision to pursue an associate’s degree in accounting at Miami University. Her career had always been in the accounting field (after raising her children, she kept the business books for her first husband’s business), but continued education helped her secure better opportunities.
Upon college graduation, Linda was hired by Armco Steel Co. to work in their corporate payroll department, where she went on to meet her second husband, Mike. A mutual friend introduced them, and they dated for two years before getting married. The union added another daughter and son (by marriage) to Linda’s family tree.
“My greatest accomplishment is raising successful children who are upstanding citizens in their community,” notes Linda. Her children have grown up to work in the medical, finance and retail sectors. Relatedly, she is a proud grandmother to 16 fabulous grandchildren.
Following her tenure at Armco Steel Co., Linda spent the last 12 years of her career working as a financial secretary (bookkeeper) for the First United Methodist Church in Middletown. She also helped Mike with his business until they both retired.
“People might be surprised to know that at the age of 31, I went from being a ‘city girl’ to a ‘farm girl’,” adds Linda. “We moved to a 30-acre farm when our children were young and raised cattle, hogs, sheep, chickens and even a horse. We planted corn or soybeans every spring and baled hay every summer. I regularly hooked up farm equipment and even birthed a calf!”
Now that Linda and Mike are retired, they really enjoy spending time with their big family. They also love residing at Ohio Living Mount Pleasant.
“We feel secure here,” says Linda. “With maintenance-free living, we never have to worry about household repairs or lawn care. If you want a friendly caring community to live in, you need to come to Ohio Living Mount Pleasant! The activities and events are amazing, plus the meals at Café 210 are incredible. When you make the choice to move here, you relieve your children from the burden of finding a place for you when the time comes.”