LINDA RAYE CARVER GOVENIDES
I married Bob Christensen out of high school, he joined the army where he was transferred to New Jersey to school at Fort Monmouth. Our first son Randy was born there, our next son Robert Scott was born in Enid. Randy passed away at the age of two from a brain tumor and is buried at the Enid cemetery. We then moved to Maryland where our twins were born, a daughter, Sheri and a son, Terry. Later we divorced.I re-married my second husband Ron Rackey, we lived in Maryland. I had two more children a daughter, Heather and a son Ronald Carver. Other than birthing babies… I have been busy as well, just to let you know! :>) I have mastered many other talents along the way. I became a hairdresser for several years; I am a floral designer, owned and operated my own florist as well. I am an artist, I paint in oils, watercolors and sculpt. Refinish furniture, wallpaper, landscape, sew and even have my own tools. I love hardware stores. My second husband and I later divorced as well.
I then found my sole mate, Jim Govenides, in 1980 we were married… my heart and life was finally at peace. I found what truelove was truly about at last. The man I would love forever. We lived and worked side by side, he owned a clothing store named “Gentleman Jim’s,” and I then became a ‘Haberdasher.’ He was active on City Counsel so I learned much about politics and how the “Good ole boy’s,” and how that system worked as well.
I later took over running the store operations as Jim had an opportunity to become a Vice President with a development company, based on the condition I took total control of the store. Along with the store we had three kids still in college and the hours were long and hard. On September 16, 1990 Jim had a massive heart attack and died in my arms at the age of 47. We had just bought a new home in May, he had no insurance, his six figure job was gone, I closed the store the store dropped to nothing, three kids in college. Lost everything. It’s twenty years later, I have survived. I am the granddaughter of pioneers, I have a darling Victorian cottage (The house and I are in a constant state of renovation, and I am never sure who is winning : I am a hands on renovator. I work for Stafford County Public Schools; I have been a member of the Stafford Rotary one year I was honored with receiving ‘Rotarian of the Year,’ went to Honduras on a mission trip three years ago. I moonlight some doing interior decorating. My children: Robert Scott is a Captain on the Great Lakes, he has three children, Rigil who is joining the Navy, Rochelle who in in the ROTC nursing program at Marquette University, and Randy who is going to the Air Force.
My daughter Sheri is a manager of a uniform store in Columbus, Georgia, she has a daughter who graduated from Mary Washington University and works for Geico, and a son Michael in Huntsville, Alabama. My son Terry lives in Utah has a ‘Handyman” business to support him when he isn’t writing music. Terry lost his wife to cancer, but found anew love Celia and just married and so I inherited two new grandchildren, Nathan 14 and Rhanna 10, both classical violinist. My youngest daughter Heather lives in Richmond she is in sales, Nicholas 10, Hannah 7 and Isabelle. Then last, but far from least my son Ronald Carver, he is employed by Em2 as a salesman, he lives here in Fredericksburg and has one son, Carver Cain. There you have it mates, my life is full, and blessed, as I hope it is with each of you as well.
Linda Raye Carver Govenides
BEVERLY GEARHEARD DAVIS
