Linda and George Paulson

Linda and George Paulson met at a dance at the University of Minnesota: George majoring in chemical engineering and Linda a student at nearby Abbot School of Nursing.  Upon graduation in 1964, they married and secured jobs in Connecticut, their home for two years before returning to Minnesota where George launched a 33-year career in sales engineering with Hosakawa Bepex.  Their first child, Elke was born in the hospital where Linda worked.

After two years, they moved again, this time to Pennsylvania.  While there two sons, Kurt and Dieter, where born. Another job transfer for George took them to Charlotte, North Carolina, home long enough to raise their children to adulthood and see them marry and have children.  Through this time, Linda continued to practice nursing, working in various facilities, as well as adding a B. A. degree in Human Services to her resume.

In 2005, after retirement for George, they relocated to Lynchburg to be close to Elke, her husband, Ron, and their child, Daniel. Kurt and his family make their home in the suburbs of Nashville and Dieter and his family live outside of Huntsville, Alabama.  Even with her residency in Lynchburg Linda continued for some time to travel across NC in connection with work for North Carolina Health and Human Services.

When living in Connecticut Linda and George grabbed an opportunity to travel to Europe by combining vacation and leave time.  Linda describes it as six weeks of living out of Frommer’s Europe on $5.00 A Day and the beginning of a love to travel.

Some of their adventures have been as members of mission trips with their church or parachurch organizations.  They have spent time with Stone Age Indians in Bolivia, worked in an exhibition hall in the shape of a whale in Germany at Expo 2000, taught English in Northern Poland, assisted Roma people in Romania, and worked in bush villages in Uganda.  Despite these meaningful experiences their travel priority today is to maintain contact with seven grandchildren and to spend time each summer in Maine.

Since moving to Lynchburg George, on most spring and summer days, has been found working two gardens.  He has become famous for his dill pickles.  When not gardening he enjoys cribbage and card games.  Linda finds spending time with “shut-ins” rewarding and frequently includes a tea party thanks to the efficiency of her portable tea cart.  Linda and George have served, and continue to do so, in many capacities in their church, Rivermont EPC. George has also held membership on community committees and boards. 

Before moving to Westminster Canterbury both Linda and George regularly made use of the Wellness Center, exercising and swimming.  They have participated in other WC activities and trips and look forward to continuing, along with developing new friends