Grapevine Vendor Linda Passes Away
We at the Street Chronicle lost another vendor who in the past sold the Homeless Grapevine for years, Linda Schoger. She passed away due to cancer. She died on July 14, 2013 at the age of 69, and she spent many years homeless. She had a memorial service at the Carey Funeral Home by her friends at West Side Catholic. She used to feed the birds and she also had many cats.
Not enough flowers, not enough friends, but she still had a beautiful group of friends who gave their last respects to her. It was lovely. A friend of hers even drove me home. She’s going to feed the birds downtown in memory of Linda even if she gets a ticket. Even though these people were her true friends, her main friend’s name is Cathy. She was also a former vendor, and is thinking of coming back to sell the paper.
Linda, before she passed away, had a mental illness and sometimes a drinking problem. Poor Linda went to Fairview Hospital months ago and could not get care because she had no insurance. She told her friend because she didn’t have excellent insurance was the reason she was sick. She was diagnosed with cancer and nothing could be done. She would have been on borrowed time. So on July 14th, 2013, she was in a hospital and passed away. I will miss her and miss seeing her around the neighborhood.
I am writing on behalf of all the vendors and how we will miss her and hope to see her when the time comes. And we all in Heaven will not need the paper to survive. In Heaven, everything is plenty and beautiful. We will all live in paradise. Until we meet again, Linda, God Bless you. Say hi to my parents, grandparents, brother, and my friends.
I love you, Linda.
Copyright Cleveland Street Chronicle published August 2013 Cleveland Ohio