Bio, 2009: Linda Garner Evans
I thought long and hard about writing my bio...figured it wouldn't be interesting to anyone but me. But decided to give it a try.I graduated from C. E. Donart and was attending OSU within two weeks. I finished my degree in elementary education and married 3 weeks after graduation from OSU to a Ph.D. student in mathematics and statistics. I was fortunate enough to teach in Stillwater for 5 years while getting my PhT (putting hubby through). Our first child, Rebecca, was born in Stillwater the year before John finished his doctorate and became a professor at Northern Illinois University outside Chicago. For anyone who has ever lived up north, hell does freeze over--and in April! The climate was more than we could stand and we moved back to Tulsa, OK where we lived for 10 years. In 1985 John got caught in the oil bust, since he worked for a company that made oil refinery equipment. We were having pretty severe marital problems by that time but I moved to Austin, Texas with him where he began to work for Lockheed Martin. Luckily, I had gone back to OSU and finished a master's degree in clinical psychology. We got divorced and I moved back to Tulsa with our 3 children.
I guess it's here that my life gets interesting. I had gone back to school because I could see I was going to be on my own sooner or later. Now I had three children 14 and under and a spouse who was---not a good dad. I wanted them to be around good men so I enrolled them in judo. This dojo became our second family. The boys were national competitors in judo and I decided I might as well study judo, too, since I had to take them to practice all the time. Chris was a four time national medalist and Oklahoma's junior judo athlete of the decade in the 1980's. Sean was a 7 time state champion. Both had an appointment to the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs if they wanted it. I got my black belt and was a 3 time state champion. My daughter Rebecca was also a state champion. We traveled all over the U.S. and met many wonderful people including members of the U. S. Olympic team. Much to my disappointment, the boys decided they didn't want to continue in the sport. It simply took up too much of their time.
While all this was going on, I was working in a home for mentally ill children who were in need of treatment. I spent 6 1/2 years as their therapist. The judo came in handy as a juvenile will attack you with little or no provocation! I served as expert witness for the State of Oklahoma in over 40 counties and became an expert on child abuse due to my patient population. I went into private practice for about 5 years before I decided to return to OSU for my doctorate in psychology.
I completed my degree at the ripe old age of 55. The third year I was here, I met the man who became my husband. Stillwater has always been a good hunting ground for mates in our family! My parents met here, aunts and uncles met here, my brother and sister both met their spouses---and I had met two!
For two years following graduation, I headed the only maximum security unit for juveniles in the State of Oklahoma at the L. E. Rader Center. The chief mental health officer of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections paid Rader a visit one day on business, saw my units, and offered me a job. I am now the clinical coordinator for Joseph Harp Correctional Center which is the largest mental health facility in the State of Oklahoma. I have over 500 mental health patients---which is about 350 more than are at the State Hospital in Norman. I also serve as clinical coordinator for the western half of Oklahoma and serve as the supervising mental health authority for 7 prisons.
I love my job. I love my husband. And life is good. I am so excited about seeing all you in October. Your stories are wonderful. We were all so blessed and lucky to have grown up in Stillwater. I have been pretty shocked and saddened at some of the things I have seen in my professional life and it has really made me appreciate the upbringing we had.
Linda Garner Evans
©2009 Stillwater High School Class of 1964