Linda Kay Brittain, nee Bowers, of Salem, Missouri, age 80 years, 7 months and 14 days, passed away Friday, September 4, 2026 at Phelps Health in Rolla. She was born January 21, 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri to Min Bowers and Lucille Gamblin Bowers.

Linda grew up in Eastern Dent County on a farm that was surrounded by cattle, horses, hogs, goats, dogs and cats. This is where she learned to love all animals and appreciate them all of her life. Linda attended local Dent County schools such as Howes Mill School, Fair View School, and Stone Hill School where her father was her teacher up to the 8th grade. She then attended Salem Junior High and Salem Senior High where she graduated in 1964. She continued her education and graduated from College of the Ozarks. She obtained her degree in education in 1968. Her first year of teaching was at the Cherryville School in Cherryville, MO. After the first year, Linda moved back to Branson and married her fiancé, Jim Brittain, who was from that area. In a few years, she and her husband had a son, Chris. After teaching for a number of years, she retired from Ozark Technical School in Branson and later moved back to her roots in Dent County where she reunited with old friends and made new ones.

Linda had been a member of the First Baptist Church in Branson for many years and later became a member of the Salem First Baptist Church after her move.

Through the years, Linda loved riding horses, taking vacations to Colorado with her family and always loved taking care of her many dogs and cats she had at different times. With her vivid imagination, she also enjoyed drawing and oil painting along with reading.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Min and Lucille Bowers; her son, Chris Brittain; parents-in-law, Andy and Lois Brittain; and her husband, Jim Brittain.

She will be lovingly missed by her two siblings, T.J. (Judy) Bowers of Salem, MO and Liz (Bill) Bennett of Steelville, MO; nieces and nephews, Justin (Angie) Bowers, Shara (Joe) Roberts, Lisa (Terry) Johnson, Ross (Nicole) Bennett, Brandon (Ashlee) Bennett and Lane (Kate) Bennett; great nieces and nephews; great-great niece and nephew; many cousins; other relatives; and many friends.

The Family received friends from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at the Salem First Baptist Church.

Funeral services were held at 1:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Salem, MO with Pastor David Hancock officiating. Special music of "In the Garden", "How Great Thou Art" and "Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone" was played. Special poems were read by her brother, T. J. Bowers.

The Service was Live-streamed on the Salem First Baptist Church website, www.firstbaptistsalem.org.

Committal prayer and interment with a short message from her brother-in-law, Bill Bennett and reading of poems from her brother, T.J. Bowers, were held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 10, 2026 in the Ozarks Memorial Park Cemetery, Branson, MO.

The Brittain Family was served by the Britton-Bennett Funeral Home of Steelville, MO.

In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church Basics Group, P.O. Box 230, Salem, MO 65560