Linda Otten, 66

Linda Otten passed away peacefully at Kootenai Medical Center on Wednesday, July 18, 2012.

Linda was born in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 18, 1946, to Al and Edna Kalas. She graduated from Downey Senior High School. Linda also graduated with a business degree from Cerritos College.

She and her husband, Marvin, became entrepreneurs in the early ’70s with a machinery moving and rigging company, Western Industrial Movers. Later they opened a precious metals minting company called Tentex in Chino, Calif. The company was sold in 1985 to Sunshine Mining and was relocated to Coeur d’Alene as Sunshine Metals. Linda and Marvin repurchased the company in 1993 and it is now known as Sunshine Minting Inc.

Linda had a passion for horses, raising and breeding Tennessee Walking Horses, including two national champions, Chief and Flashy Pride. Her earlier interests included dance, including winning a dance contest with Frank Sinatra Jr. at Disneyland, music, later her interest changed to gardening and being a dedicated mother.

She is survived by her son, Steven; grandson Sam; and brothers, Michael Kalas and Frank Reed. She was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin; mother and father.

Family and friends and others whose lives Linda has touched are invited to attend a small memorial service at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 28, 2012, at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.