Linda V. Mitchell, 79, Dickinson, died on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at St. Luke’s Home, Dickinson. A Gathering of Family of Friends for Linda will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 16, 2026 at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson. Inurnment will take place at a later date in New Hampshire.
Linda Viola Winchester was born September 5, 1946 in Keene, NH, the daughter of Charles and Eva (White) Winchester. She grew up around the Westmoreland, NH area where she enjoyed high school, proms, and dances. She entered beauty pageants and even placed 2nd for Ms. Monadrock. She always looked so beautiful. Linda had four brothers who were always protective of her. There was quite an age gap with her two oldest brothers. She graduated from Walpole High School in 1965.
Linda married Art Bersaw and during this time three daughters, Andrea, Diane, and Nicole, were born from this union.
She began her working career at NGM Insurance Company (now American Family Insurance) in Keene which lasted from 1965 to 1997. She even worked in the mailroom during her summer breaks during high school.
The family resided in Vermont until 1976 when Linda, who was nine months pregnant with her third daughter, moved along with her other two daughters to Westmorland, NH where they lived with Linda’s mother, Eva. They continued to live there until moving to Keene where Linda met an elementary school teacher, Bruce Mitchell. Linda and Bruce were married on August 11, 1984, once again making them a family.
Bruce and Linda enjoyed going to Old Orchard Beach, which was all the time; or you would see them on cross-country skis, going down Colorado Street in Keene. They also belonged to the VFW and the Moose Lodge in Keene. Bruce and Linda enjoyed dancing the night away, followed by coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts right by our house.
Once Bruce and Linda got a taste of North Dakota, they decided to move. In 2004 they bought a house at 126 A Ave East in Dickinson where they made their home. They loved Dickinson and always attended the 4th of July parade—carrying their chairs and drinks along. Walmart was always their home away from home. Always going shopping, Linda was sad when Herberger’s in Dickinson closed as it was her favorite store. Bruce and Linda could be found walking around the mall during the winter months. Linda loved singing, dancing, and spending time with her two daughters and grandkids that lived nearby. She found immense joy in attending basketball and volleyball games, and especially grandparent’s day at the schools.
One time a bunch of us were at the Spur Bar and when she was in the bathroom, she asked the gal in the next stall, if she could “spare a square”. Mom always loved watching Seinfeld. Linda always enjoyed a funny joke; you always had to have a joke for her when she called. Although she was diagnosed with dementia and moved into the nursing home, she continued to sing and dance. She could name that tune in three seconds.
Linda will be greatly missed by her family, Diane, Nicole, Andrea, and the rest of the family. Linda was a beautiful woman, who loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandson, Liam. She was never able to heal from her first marriage when our biological father cheated and we had nowhere to go, but our grandma took us in. We hope mom and Bruce are dancing and hugging each other because we know that he has been waiting for her in Heaven.
Linda is survived by her daughters, Diane (Aaron Gaffrey) Anderson, Dickinson, Nicole Pavlicek, Dickinson, and Andrea Lukowski, North Carolina; grandchildren, Jessica Marchant, Alexis Talbot, Ashlyn Pavlicek, and Emily Lukowski; great-grandson, Liam Talbot; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Bruce G. Mitchell, November 5, 2021; stillborn twin daughters in 1967; her parents; brothers, Rodney, Roland, Alwin, and Norman Winchester; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, and sisters-in-law.
