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Linda Hepler Marshall
FAMILY: I am independently owned and proud; a Solo and Sassy mother of two amazing men. After they served in the Navy as corpsman, Jarret (my oldest) went on to obtain his Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts and is now Executive Chef for the Compass Group in Houston, Tx. My son Jason, who lives in Lacey, Washington, obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Business Management, is now a pharmaceutical rep. who supplies IV medications to hospitals.
I have been blessed with four grandchildren. Taylor, 28 years old, who writes for the Denver Nuggets. Chloe, 14 years old, who has been competing in swim for years. She is fast! Tanner, 13 years old, who plays bass in the Jazz band at school. Wyatt, who is 11 years old, he is either playing soccer or fortnight.
OCCUPATION: My official title is Patient Financial Counselor. I work at Harbor Regional Health Hospital in Aberdeen, WA. I obtain all the pre-certifications for everyone that walks through our ED doors, whether they are admitted or treated and released. I also obtain all authorizations for every surgery that is performed in our facility. I am looking at retirement in two years.
FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIES: Oh… so many…. And just how many can I write about??
Being St. Christopher kids, we rode the city bus to school. We had to change buses downtown. Occasionally, we would hide in the parking structure so we would purposefully miss the bus and we would play downtown until the next bus, about an hour. We called ourselves the Bus Buddies, Greg Barnaby, Liz Cooke, Lorretta Young, Ellen Schultz, Mike Mitchell, Don Blackwell, Steve Hernandez,’71 and Larry Gilbertson ’71.
Senior Trip was a major highlight. The best time… precious memories in San Diego and sleeping on the gym floor.
First ever dance as a Freshman with Mike Vlaovich, we danced (or at least attempted to dance) to In A Gadda Da Vida ( long version). Think we made it about 3/4 ways through. We still laugh about it.
Driver’s Ed with Coach Nails, and we got to drive all the way to State Line and back. It was a big thing back then.
Getting suspended Freshman year, due to being kicked out of Brother LaFevre’s religion class. I was just standing up for my belief. It only lasted a day or two, until my dad had his say.
HOW I LIKE TO SPEND MY TIME: Well since I am still working full time, and don’t have one of those husband things, all the household chores are mine to do. (I have heard rumors that those husband things don’t really help much in the household chores, I just thought I kept getting defective ones.)
But I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my family, especially my grandchildren. We go on lots of adventures. Instead of presents (which they don’t play with after a few days) we go on adventures. We have gone indoor parachuting, ziplining, train rides, boat rides (on the Lady Washington) playing, swimming at the beach, and hikes in the woods, to name a few.
I enjoy crocheting, have made most of my family their own blankets. When I have time I love to read, but I get into it and can’t put it down until I’m finished.
TIDBITS: When I worked as a maid at the Hilton (old one before the fire) I cleaned Starskey’s ( Paul Michael Glasser) room. He sat there watching me… it was creepy, but he gave me $100.00 tip.
When I lived in Coeur d’Alene, my ex and I loved fishing in Mirror Lake. While we were there one day, watching some construction going on, on the shore, it turned out that we were watching them build Grandma’s house in Dante’s Peak. We got to be extra’s in the movie. It was fun.
Also, while in Coeur d’Alene, I worked for a podiatrist. One of his patients was Patty Duke. It was a really big thing every time she came into the office, but growing up in Vegas, and my parents working in the showroom at the Sands, there were always celebrities around. My Dad owned the Café de Paris café on Sunset Blvd. and knew most of the Rat Pack before they were headliners in Vegas.
Highlights of My Life Since High School: After my first husband left, I pack up my young children 5 and 2, and everything I owed into a U-Haul truck and drove us Huntington Beach to start a new life. I started a job at Downing Savings as a part time safe deposit clerk and worked my way up to Branch Manager.
At that point, since I had wanted to be a nurse since I was in Kindergarten, I got a job in a doctor’s office who took me under his wing and taught me so much. I could draw blood and spin it and do all the test possible in the office, I did x-rays, and assisted in minor surgeries, and colonoscopies (some of the funny patients called me Nurse Ram Rod). But I taught him stuff too, he was still on peg board, I talked him into getting a computer, but to prove it would work I had to input all the data, and codes. I had to do both peg board and computer for 6 months before I got rid of the peg board.
I figured if I was going to do this nurse thing, I started my pre-req’s for nursing. My dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, so I moved to Washington to help my Mom. When I moved up here, I went to Grays Harbor Community College for my Nursing degree.
I met husband #3 in Washington and discovered so many new fun things to do in my rural little town. I learned to fly fish, and how to track wildlife in the woods. I caught a five-foot sturgeon, such a yummy fish. I spent two weeks in the woods in a tent, washed my hair in the river, shot my elk and deer. Was so excited when I found the elk, that when I shot him, I did not have my rifle in my shoulder correctly and the scope came back and hit me in the nose. Broke my nose, and 18 hours later (when we got the elk back to camp and I drove back to town) got 9 stitches in the gash on my nose.
Even though I have had tried the husband thing three times, (something about three strikes….) I am a firm believer in love. I just believe my love was meant for my grandchildren/family.
I have been in the medical field ( all areas) for 38 years now, and feel very accomplished every day when I know that I have helped patients .