Oliver: This friendship was built on years of sweet and savory memories

This past weekend we said goodbye to my dear friend Linda. Lin, or Linnie as we affectionately called her, was one of those friends whose very name brings up happy memories.

During the years when I was wrapped up in my newspaper job, the fun times with Lin and our little gang were the highlights of my summers.

Lin loved flowers, so it came as no surprise that we often could be found together at the McHenry County Garden Walk. I always would stick close to her, because I’m a rookie gardener and she could explain things to me when I had questions.

She was a big fan of roses, and for several years we’d make trips to the Boerner Botanical Gardens near Milwaukee for their annual rose festival. I can still hear her giggle of delight at all the beauty.

However, the event that will always be synonymous with Lin for me is the Wisconsin State Fair. We had to have made that trip more than 20 times.

Before Tony started going along with us, the car group was usually Lin, our friend Vivian, Lin’s son, Charlie, and me.

They’d always pick me up last since McHenry was on the way north. Our first stop without fail was the McDonald’s in Richmond, where we’d get a little breakfast. In my case, it was for a cup of coffee because I often had worked on the copy desk the night before.

We’d talk and laugh on the way there, the easy banter of longtime friends on a familiar outing.

When we reached the fairgrounds, there were traditions that had to be observed. First, we would look at the quilts and flower exhibits. Then, we’d head to the Cream Puff barn.

For many years, we did the obligatory cream puffs. However, one year I rebelled and decided that I’d rather go to the other end of the barn and get a piece of strudel. Lin was one of the people who backed this decision. Of course, those who still wanted cream puffs were welcome to them.

She also was the one who insisted that I always got to do my favorite thing at the fair: see the rabbits. She often took pictures of me talking to the bunnies. The year that I got to hold a baby bunny was a highlight. Lin and the gang were amused at my excitement.

Lin’s relationship with son Charlie was one that I had always hoped I’d have with my own mother. They clearly enjoyed each other’s company. With each passing fair, we got to watch Charlie go from a kid to a young adult to an adult who could do the driving for us.

One task we also always had to do was to get Lin’s husband his favorite hot sauce from one of the vendors in the Exposition Center. This was back in the days when it wasn’t as easy as going online and having it shipped. This was a non-negotiable part of the fair for us. And we almost always got it done.

Lin and Charlie also had their own traditions when it came to food at the fair. Lin would be game for whatever fried food Charlie wanted to try. I remember she also was on board the year I insisted that I needed to try chocolate-covered bacon. (It was surprisingly good but once was enough for me.)

We all would stop for bratwurst at the Sheboygan Brat Haus, and it was there that I was talked into trying sauerkraut for the first time. The New Berlin Lions Club Roast Corn stand in the center of the fair and the Wisconsin Wine Garden were other mandatory stops.

The musical acts often were a draw, as well. Lin and Charlie often would get tickets for the mainstage act, and the rest of us would figure out something to do in the meantime, usually watching the horse shows. Occasionally we’d all go to a concert, like the year we saw Trace Adkins and another time when I talked everyone into seeing Collective Soul.

Even in the years it rained, we managed to have fun, mostly because we were together. The memories continue to flood back.

Sadly, it’s been over a decade since we all made that trip, our lives becoming more complicated by health issues and family responsibilities. However, I’ve never questioned our friendship. But I have missed her.

And now I’ll miss her even more. Still, I have so many sweet memories to savor.

• Joan Oliver is the former Northwest Herald assistant news editor. She has been associated with the Northwest Herald since 1990. She can be reached at jolivercolumn@gmail.com.