Linda Burge married a talker. Her husband of 44 years, Curt, was a salesman who could hold court at any gathering. You might think, then, that Linda toiled in the shadows as the silent partner. But love of talking - of deep dialogues with the people she loved - was the thread that bound Linda and Curt, said Lindas longtime friend Cindy Reinhart. "Lindas favorite thing was conversations with people and getting to know people," said Cindy, who met Linda when they attended then-Southwest Minnesota State College, where Linda was - what else? - a speech major. "As an adult, for the most part, I talked to her every single day," said Leah Sedler, Lindas first-born child. Leah said her mom liked to text her a code - "YCC," which stood for You Can Call - when she was available to chat. Those conversations, Leah said, are what shell miss the most about her mom. Linda Hatle Burge, 67, died peacefully at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on July 31, surrounded by family. Born in Minneapolis on Feb. 17, 1951, the longtime Landen resident proudly served for 13 years as a board member of the Kings Local School District. Curt Burge and Linda Hatle started dating when they were 16 years old at Roosevelt High School in south Minneapolis. At college, Linda met Cindy, but then had to leave school: Her mother was dying of cancer, and so Linda went back home to help care for her younger brother, Steve, who was only 6 years old. "She stepped up and did a good job of taking care of me," Steve said. "She was not a great cook, but she did her best." Lindas true strength, Steve said, was as a mother. "She fiercely loved her children," he said. According to Steve, Lindas involvement in the Kings school board after she and Curt moved to Cincinnati was to ensure her three children had the best educational experience possible. Her role on the board - from 1984-97 - was a source of pride for Leah, second daughter Jennifer Reeder and son Matt. Her name adorns several buildings in the district as it expanded due to growth. She also helped start fundraisers that the district still utilizes. "She understood the importance of fundraising, school spirit and community involvement," Leah said. "I was proud to have a mom who was so involved." But being so active in the school system meant Linda knew things her children didnt want her to know, like prom parties at students houses. Or pranks. And that meant Linda would react. "I would consider her a boiling pot of water," said Matt, who described his moms negative reactions as "a slow simmer. And then she stayed hot for a long time." But Matt appreciated his moms directness. "If you wanted to know how mom really felt, you just had to ask her," he said. "You might not like the answer, but you knew where you stood." What Matt loved most, though, was his moms appreciation for her time with family. "Losing her mom at 19, she was just happy for every day that she had with us that her mother didnt have with her," he said. When Linda and Curt moved from Minneapolis to Cincinnati in the mid-1970s, it created an opportunity for Curt, who ended up being a successful orthopedic sales representative and distributor of orthopedic medical devices for 42 years. Curts work meant Linda was able to travel to places she loved: Norway, where she still had family; Destin, Fla.; back to her hometown, perhaps for a Jucy Lucy burger at Matts Bar and Grill; and a house at Lake Lorelei, just east of Cincinnati. Her trips to Norway - she made about five of them - were the only splurge in her life, said Leah. For example, when Curt would ask where she wanted to go for their wedding anniversary, the answer usually was Steak n Shake. And an anniversary gift of black licorice - accompanied with some room-temperature Diet Mountain Dew - was just fine with her. Still, it was a deep relationship with people that Linda cared about most. Cindy said Linda loved her time with her friends, whether from high school, college or Cincinnati. And "she loved her family," Cindy said. "She was very proud of all of them." Linda is survived by children Leah (Tommy) Sedler of Villa Hills, Ky., Jennifer (Fred Jr.) Reeder of South Lebanon, Oh., and Matthew (Elizabeth) Burge of Landen, Oh.; seven grandchildren; and a brother, Steve (Jeanne) Hatle of Northfield, Minn. She was preceded in death by her husband, Curt; her parents, Ernest and Dagmar Hatle; and a brother, Richard Hatle. The family will welcome friends at 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6, at Tufts-Schildmeyer Funeral Home, 129 Riverside Drive in Loveland, Oh., with a brief memorial service at 5:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Lindas name to: Kings Local Schools Foundation, 1797 King Avenue, Kings Mills, OH 45034. Funeral Home: Tufts Schildmeyer Family Funeral Home & Cremation Center - Loveland 129 Riverside Drive Loveland, OH US 45140