Linda Groves

Linda Sue Groves, a long-time resident of Ringgold, GA, changed her address to Heaven on Friday afternoon, March 22, 2019.  She had struggled with health problems the last several years.  She passed away peacefully at Memorial Hospital, surrounded by family and friends.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Elsie and J.B. Ellison of Chickamauga, and her brother, William “Bill” Ellison, of Trenton. 

She is survived by her loving husband of 33 years, Henry Alan Groves;  her daughter, Kimberly Anne Tiner, of Chickamauga; step-daughter Carol Groves Hogan; and step-son Steven Groves.  She also leaves behind her elder brother, Johnny Ellison of Ider, AL; her sister, Bettye Ellison Breeden (David), of South Pittsburg, TN; four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and two cats.

She was “Linda” to some, “Sue” to others, and as a child, frequently “Linda Sue Ellison!” when in trouble.  Being larger than life, she needed all those names to capture the magnitude of her personality.  She was well-known for never holding back her opinion. She always told the truth even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear, and you always knew where you stood with her.  She was generous, kind, and a pussy cat at heart, yet she could be a roaring lioness if you messed with her loved ones.  There were no gray areas when it came to that.  In fact, there were no gray areas in her life at all because she preferred another color.

Never  a slave to the fickle trends of fashion, Linda built her own signature style.  You’ve probably heard that saying “When I am an old woman, I will wear purple.”  Linda chose not to wait to wait until any certain age before painting her whole life purple.  It is rumored that she did not own a single article of clothing that didn’t have purple included on it.  It didn’t stop with just her wardrobe and accessories.  Her bedroom was purple.  Her bathroom was purple.  She once had a purple motorcycle.  Her car was purple.  She had purple contacts.  Her hair was, and is, purple. 

Linda grew up in Chickamauga and attended Gordon Lee High School.  Her work history was as unique as she was and spanned a wide range from being the Shoney’s Big Boy mascot, to office manager and dispatcher at McCarthy’s Trucking, operating a clothing resale boutique, to her real love of being a Certified Nursing Assistant at Rossville’s NHC.  She was a very caring provider to her patients and their families.

Another of Linda’s great passions was shopping.  Whether it was at Proffits or a flea market, she had the stamina to run rings around younger and more able-bodied people when there was a bargain to be had.  One of the many legacies she leaves behind is a tremendous amount of stuff and her husband and daughter have no idea what to do with all those “treasures.”  If you are in the market for 2,000 VHS tapes or maybe a gross of socks, please wait a respectful amount of time before contacting the family.  Tomorrow should be fine.

All kidding aside, Linda was a great lady who positively impacted many lives.  If you knew her, you are probably among the ones she touched and have your own stories about her.  The family encourages everyone to write on Linda’s Tribute Wall on Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory’s web site.

The family will receive friends from 4 – 8 PM, Monday, at Heritage Funeral Home, 3239 Battlefield Parkway, Fort Oglethorpe, GA 30742.  A graveside service will be held Tuesday, March 26, 2:00 PM at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.  Those wishing to be in the procession to the cemetery should meet at Heritage by 1:15 PM Tuesday.   Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made in Linda’s name to the charity of your choice.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.