Linda (Mceachern) Bird

Linda Jane (McEachern) Bird, 83, passed away Friday, June 27, 2025 at her home in Hamilton.  Daughter of Eley Harrison McEachern and Mary Rebecca (Goodroe) McEachern, Linda was born Jan. 19, 1942 in Alpine, Texas.  Her father’s career as an entomologist took the family to Alabama, Florida, and finally to California, where Linda graduated from El Camino High School in Sacramento in 1960.

After high school, Linda attended American River Junior College and Sacramento State, before leaving home to live and work in glamorous San Francisco in the early 1960’s.  However, Linda returned to Sacramento after reuniting with her old high school flame, John Bird.  While the couple were dating, Linda worked at Aerojet Corp. during the era the company contributed to the Apollo, Gemini, and Polaris missions.

Linda and John were married on Nov. 30, 1963.  Although they enjoyed the support of close-knit family ties in Sacramento, the couple dreamed of living in a smaller, more rural area and settled on the beautiful Bitterroot Valley in Western Montana.  Linda and John loaded all of their belongings on John’s 1952 International flat-bed work truck and moved to Hamilton in 1969.  The couple purchased their first home on South 4th St. and began planning to build.  Because they lived so far from family, the friends they met in those early years became like family, forming relationships they still maintain and cherish to this day.

In early 1970, John and Linda welcomed their daughter, Annemarie.  And in 1972, they moved into the home John built west of Hamilton and have lived on the property for over 50 years.

Linda’s family and her home were her life.  She loved planting flowers in the beautiful yard she curated for decades and spent her summers reading in the shade of the willows and feeding the hummingbirds that returned year after year.  She loved camping, hiking, rock-hounding, and was an avid tennis player for many years, winning the state championship with her team.  Linda’s cooking was the center of every family celebration and the traditions of her holiday meals will live on.  Truly a devoted mom, grandma, and great-grandma, Linda rarely missed an athletic event, concert, or school activity.

Linda is survived by her husband, John; daughter Annemarie Kanenwisher (Ken); brother Mike McEachern (Nancy); five grandchildren: Spencer (Alyssa), Jackson (Kelsey), Katarina, Maria, and Isabella; and 8 great grandchildren, all who will miss their “Grama Yena” deeply.

A celebration of Linda’s life will be held Aug. 13, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton.  In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Linda’s name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.