Linda Lou Zuber (81) of Willow Hill

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Published on January 6 2020 1:02 pm

Linda Lou (Basham) Zuber, age 81, of Sainte Marie, Illinois, passed away at 5:30 AM Monday, January 6, 2020, at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois, from injuries from a recent fall.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM Saturday, January 11 at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Sainte Marie, Illinois. Burial will be in the St. Mary’s Cemetery in Sainte Marie, Illinois. Visitation will be held 5:00-7:00 PM Friday at the church and 9:00 to 9:30am before the mass. In loving memory of Linda, memorials may be made to the St. Thomas School. Linda always said she wanted a party-funeral, not a sad one, so all family and close friends are invited to “Stories & Songs” after the luncheon in the St. Mary’s Parish Center in Sainte Marie, Illinois. Arrangements are under the care the Meyer Funeral Home in Newton, Illinois. The obituary can be viewed and condolences left by clicking here.

Linda Lou was born on August 15, 1938, in Humboldt, Illinois, the daughter of Gilbert and Edith (Davis) Basham. She inherited her daddy’s sense of humor and orneriness and was both the recipient and giver of many a joke from her beloved brothers and sister. She graduated from Mattoon High School and attended Eastern Illinois University. During her time at EIU, she came to the Sainte Marie area with her zoology class to find a rare species of insect. They found the bug and Linda found Sam Zuber. They were married on January 31, 1959, and she later graduated from EIU. That was one successful field trip!

Together they raised six children, most of them good and all of them sassy: Chris, Cari, Greg, Libby, Edie and Amanda. And if that weren’t enough, she opened her home to 3 foreign exchange “kids” through the years whom she loved as her own: Tom Georgiou of Champaign, Illinois (originally from Greece); Matthew Stevens from Australia, and Iris Wagner from Austria. She and Sam were also foster parents to two amazing young ladies. She was a GRAND ma long before she became grandma to the 18 grandchildren she loved dearly. She earned further accreditation with 20 great-grandkids. Linda put that EIU degree to good use too, teaching for many years. She taught science at Newton Community High School and later 7th grade and junior high science at St. Thomas, as well teaching homebound students in the years in between. Linda never hesitated to pat her students on the back and give them a much needed hug. They in turn loved to tease her and would seek her out for hugs years after having been her student. Every opportunity was a chance to educate and she never missed that chance. Living on the farm, she taught her own kids about science with animal births to dressing chickens (which later became her famous fried chicken). She was an active member of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church and could always be heard singing from her pew with her booming bass voice. She was also a member of the Sainte Marie American Legion Auxiliary.

Linda didn’t know a stranger and in her later years reveled in traveling around the world making many new friends at military bases where her son-in-law was stationed. She was lovable and humorous, rough side and all, and made others feel welcome at her table. She was a straight shooter—you always knew where you stood with her. Linda loved her coffee and her daily PB&J. She enjoyed just sitting down to visit with coffee and homebaked goodies.

Linda is survived: Husband of 60 years, Sam Zuber of Sainte Marie, Illinois; Children - Cari (Carl) Philips of Sainte Marie, Illinois; Greg (Theresa) Zuber of Sainte Marie, Illinois; Libby Riggs of Plymouth, Indiana; Edie Hice of Newton, Illinois and Amanda (Steve) Huber of Troy, Illinois; Grandchildren – Amanda Shelby, Sam Zuber, Megan Finke, Brandon Phillips, Ashlee Richardson, Andy Zuber, Luke Zuber, Sarah Zuber, Emma Winslow, Adam Riggs, Samantha Hice, Dylan Hice, Zeke Huber, Levi Huber, Josh Huber, Bethany Huber, Anna Huber and Isacc Huber; 20 Great Grandchildren; Brother – Bill Basham of Mattoon, Illinois; Sister – Mary Guill of Neoga, Illinois and Sister-in-law Betty Basham of Mattoon, Illinois.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, son Chris; great grandchildren Gavin Griffith and Austin Zuber; mother and father-in-law, Frank and Bernadette Zuber; brothers, Gilbert “Junior”, Jim, and Richard Basham.