Eller, Linda Doris (Boudet)
I have lived in Vero Beach since 1961 when my husband graduated from U of F (I got my PHT-putting hubby through)
except for a 4 year period during 1967-71 when we lived in Lakeland, Fla. His family had been in Vero since the 40's
and he was Sally Matthew's first boyfriend when she lived in Vero. We were in every phase of the citrus industry from
nursery to concentrate plant and sometime during all this we managed to raise 5 children who are now 47, 45, 43, 41 and 32.
They have blessed us with 11 grandchildren - 8 granddaughters and 3 grandsons and one great-grandson. My husband,
Jim, passed away on this past March 30th, after a knee replacement operation and that combined with the 2 hurricanes
which left us with such damage almost put me over the top. We had been married 48 1/2 years. Fortunately, we did a
lot of traveling during our younger years instead of waiting till retirement. We did everything as a family and have a
lot of great memories of all the places we took the kids from the mountains to the Bahamas to Costa Rica and a lot of in
between.
We had a citrus industry in Costa Rica for 20 years until squatters took our land as Costa Rica has squatters rights in
their laws. So, if any of you are planning to retire there, DON'T.
Besides raising kids, I played the piano and keyboards for church (50 years worth) and loved every minute of it.
It was my way of worshiping. I was a school volunteer in the music programs, did a lot of sewing and needlepoint
and any kind of craft that caught my attention. We were big Gator boosters and for years went and tailgated at all
the home games. Then my body figured out it was easier to stay home and watch it on TV. I worked in a
Christian Bookstore and Gift Shop for 6 years. During the years the kids were growing up, we had hunting
leases and we always had a place to go on the weekends and the kids benefited from growing up in the woods and
learned to appreciate wildlife and sitting around a fire at night roasting marshmellows and watching the dogs
sleep with their feet in the fire. We also had some land in Vero we had a 7 acre lake on where we had planned
to build a home, but it turned out to be the most expensive and popular park in the county where the kids could
have parties and invite their friends. Everyone knew about Boudet's lake. As the kids started growing up and
going off to college, we realized we didn't need that great big house so we sold off the land one lot at a time
and it saved us from having to mow a 5 acre yard. So all in all, I have had a great life, have some medical
problems just like everyone else at our age, but God watches over me. I feel blessed to have grown up in the
era we did where it was a more innocent world and friends were made for life. I have kept in touch with Carol Ann,
Saundra Moore and some others through Christmas letters thru the years and now with e-mail, I have gotten in touch
with so many more and was surprised to find some of us live so close together. So God willing and the creek don't
rize, I look forward to seeing all of you at "the" reunion.
Love and Happiness and God Bless to all of you.
Linda