Mary Linda McElhannon peacefully passed away Friday, October 25, surrounded by her family.

She was born to A.C. and Ethel Shaver Hix January 7, 1947, the seventh of their eight children. Her loving and impish nature made her a lot of fun to be around. She never met a stranger. It was a gift that made her an easy individual to approach and one that endeared her to the many people she met throughout her life.

She met the love of her life, William 'Bill' McElhannon, while in high school. They married shortly after she graduated. Since he was enlisted with the Navy, their first years took them to Florida and Maine. It didn't matter where they were as long as they were together. Nearly 60 years later, their love was still just as strong. Bill survives her.

During this time, they had three sons, Kevin (Cyndi), Keith (Angela) and Mark (Lisa). Their sons not only brought them great joy but produced nine grandchildren, Kevin ((Sammy), Matthew, Christina (Kendrick), William, Kenneth, Cheyenne (Andrew), Johnathan (Madison), Sierra (Josh) and Savanna (Austin). As if experiencing being a grandmother was not wonderful enough, she was overjoyed to be made a great grandmother eight times over with the arrivals of Niko, Addison, Westlyn, Cori, Paisley, Lillian, Lucy and Veda.

Through her six brothers and sister, she was an aunt to 22 nieces and nephews that loved being in her presence. She was not only an aunt, but a friend, many of whom have very special memories of their time spent with her. She also viewed her many sisters-in-law as bonus siblings and was close to them all.

Her relationship with her sister-in-law, Ruth Hix, wife of her brother, Alvin, has been especially close through the years. They have found special strength in one another over the past several years due to the passing of other family members. Their special fondness for one another was further strengthened by their love of the Lord, for in Him, they know they all are only temporarily separated and will be reunited at a future time.

Please join the family on Monday, October 28, at Ford-Stewart Funeral Home, 2047 Hwy 138 SE, Jonesboro, GA 30236. Visitation 9 am to 11 am. Service begins at 11:00 am followed by burial and graveside service at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, 5755 Mallory Rd., College Park, GA 30349. After the funeral, people are invited to the home of her son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Lisa McElhannon, 342 Walter Moore Rd., Jackson, GA, to eat and celebrate Linda's life.