Meet Linda Kohl Klark, a Newcomerstown native
Linda Kohl Klark is a native of Newcomerstown who now resides in Oklahoma. She recently retired there after spending many years working in recreation and outdoor education.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? – “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” – Robin Williams
SHARE SOMETHING READERS WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU – “After working in public service my whole life, I am now practically living ‘off the grid’ in Southeast Oklahoma, where human interaction is rare, and the closest store is 35 minutes away!”
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY, WHERE YOU LIVE AND YOUR HOBBIES – I was raised in Newcomerstown, the daughter of the late Don and Janice Kohl, one of six daughters, and my only brother is our youngest sibling. After graduating from Newcomerstown High School in 1977, I attended Kent State University and earned my BS in Recreational Therapy.In 1988, I met Allen Klark in Newark, Ohio. We married and moved with my two children to Plano, Texas, where Allen took a job as Administrator for the Treemont Retirement Community and Health Care. Our family enjoyed camping together and traveled all over the country. When we discovered Beavers Bend Park in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, we fell in love with the area and decided to look for a weekend place close by, thus finding our current property. The area is remarkably similar to Newcomerstown, with the rolling hills, dense woods and plentiful wildlife. The locals even boast of hosting the Honobia Bigfoot. This area near Finley, Oklahoma, is where Allen and I retired in August 2021. Our first cabin was purchased in the Honobia Wilderness in 2000, and we would travel each weekend from Plano, Texas, to get away from the big city and renovate our small cabin and 40-acre property. This area is very secluded, with the closest neighbor one mile before our property and over five miles the other direction. In 2017, a cabin across the road that was built in the ‘70s by a hippie commune went up for sale. Allen and I bought this property, and worked on it for the next four years, replacing logs, windows, floor, roof, fireplace, plumbing and electricity. The plan was to turn it into an Airbnb for our retirement years, and we will soon be realizing that dream. Just one special part of this area is the wild Spanish mustangs that roam free in the wilderness. … We are currently residing in this cabin while our first cabin is being expanded and built into our own retirement haven. Our hope is to move in by the end of the year and open the Airbnb for business in 2023. In my spare time I enjoy gardening, canning and preserving food; gourd art; pine needle basket making; working in my greenhouse; homesteading; bee keeping; cooking; photography; traveling; and volunteering with the local public Library and Choctaw youth.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK HISTORY – Most of my career involves working with the disabled and in the health and fitness arena. In my last job, I worked 20 years for the City of Farmers Branch Parks and Recreation Department in Farmers Branch, Texas, as a recreation program coordinator. There, I planned programs and taught activities for the older adult population and was also responsible for several city-wide special events.
WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT NEWCOMERSTOWN, AND HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET BACK? – Growing up on River Street in Newcomerstown was a special time where you could walk from your house to all three schools, ride your bike just about anywhere and go down to the river to explore without the worry that something bad would happen. We always played hard until we heard dad’s sharp whistle, usually about the time the streetlights came on. My parents were community leaders in Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, their church, Red Cross, and many activities like canoeing and kayaking trips. I recall teaching Station 2 beginners swim lessons at age 10. I figured the kids would get over their fear of putting their heads under water if they had some motivation. So, on testing day, I emptied my piggy bank and threw in coins for the excited kids to retrieve from the bottom of the pool. Everybody passed and I was instantly hooked on teaching and motivating others ever since. I continued teaching through the Red Cross and attended two aquatic schools, where I became a water safety Instructor and an adapted aquatic instructor so I could use water to assist people with special needs. My love for recreation was also nurtured from obtaining every badge possible in Girl Scouts and completing the Girl Scout God and Community Award through church.
WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT? – I plan to continue following my interests and hobbies now that my husband and I are retired. Once our ‘Wild Horse Cabin’ Airbnb is open for business, I plan to offer visitors unique experiences and the opportunity to take classes, such as yoga, arts and crafts, gun safety, living off the land, geocaching, canning and preserving foods, soap making and wild horse safaris, to name a few. My mother, Janice Kohl, has lived in the same house on River Street for the past 65 years. I try to visit mom and Newcomerstown at least twice a year, but have more visits planned since I am retired from full-time employment. Newcomerstown was a wonderful place to grow up, and I am thankful for my family, friends and all the great memories Newcomerstown holds for me.
