Linda Earlene Reed

Linda Earlene Reed, a vibrant, big-hearted, and deeply loving mother, sister, grandmother, and friend, passed away on September 24, 2026, at the age of 78.

Born on March 3, 1948, in Visalia, California, to Earl and Freida Parsons, Linda lived the majority of her life in her hometown of Visalia, though her journey also led her to spend time living in Phoenix and Oregon over the years. For over 35 years, from 1975 until 2011, Linda had the unique privilege of working alongside her father and her sisters at Tulare County Escrow, building lifelong memories with her family both at home and at the office.

Linda had a heart of gold and truly never met a stranger. She loved everyone she encountered and brought endless joy to those around her with her warm, joking personality. Her spirited sense of humor was perfectly captured by the custom license plate on her car: “IM2ONRY.” She was fiercely loving, genuinely the life of the party, and possessed a beautiful, non-committal, eclectic, crazy, gypsy-hippie soul. She always wanted to see the good in others, regardless of their past.

True to her nature, Linda was wonderfully eclectic in all things, especially her hobbies. She loved to paint, bake, and spend time shopping for her family and friends. Above all, her deep faith in Jesus Christ was a guiding light in her life, and she found great joy in continually learning more about her faith. Even during times of immense trauma and pain, she leaned on God, constantly reminding those she loved of His goodness and unwavering love.

Her immense compassion extended just as deeply to animals. Over the past few years, Linda opened her heart to nearly 20 stray cats that were left at her home. With quiet dedication, she ensured each one was spayed, neutered, and safely placed with cat rescues stretching from Visalia all the way to Los Angeles.

Linda is survived by a large and loving family, including her sister Karen Niederreiter and her husband Bud; her sister Leslie Silva; her son Kevin Minatta and his wife Krystal; her step-son Frank Minatta and his wife Connie; her step-daughter Sandy Collins and her husband Lonny; and her step-daughter Debbie Minatta. She will also be dearly missed by her 11 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. She held a profound gratitude for her family, deeply treasuring their unwavering support and steadfast presence during times of healing and through life's toughest moments. She was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Freida Parsons.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that contributions be made to any local cat rescue in Linda’s memory, honoring her remarkable legacy of kindness and care.