Linda Wellford

Lin Wellford entered this world the second of five children.

Lin Wellford entered this world the second of five children. Though she was born to Marion and Nancy Wellford in Tennessee in 1951, her formative years were spent in Sarasota, Florida.

Water was a theme in her life, and the family spent countless hours on her father’s sailboat in the bay or paddling around the small lake behind the family home. As the daughter of an engineer and a sculptor, Lin absorbed the knowledge and sensibilities of both parents, developing her own artistic and manual skills from an early age.

At the University of Florida – Gainesville, she studied Advertising Design and learned the art of sign-painting and hand-lettering. The summer before her senior year in college, she went to Cape Cod to work at a resort, where she met her partner in life, Klaus Kupfersberger (1938-2020).

Before settling down, she set off backpacking through Europe. When she returned stateside, instead of going back to college, Lin and Klaus began their lives together, marrying and opening a bakery in Miami in 1974. They welcomed their first daughter, Skye, into the world the following year.

A visit to the Ozark Mountains convinced them to relocate. After the birth of their second daughter, Erika, they moved to Green Forest, where they opened another bakery, The Gingerbread Man, and built their home in the woods. It was to be their home for the rest of their married lives, and they finished it not long before the birth of their third daughter, Kira.

Lin set the stone pavers of the entryway herself. It was the kind of challenge she relished. And rocks, like water, were a theme in her life. She painted her first rock on a whim and a hobby turned into a side-hustle and then a fulltime job.

Rock-hunting was a family activity, and the Osage Creek was the typical spot. Hours were spent on that river every summer, canoeing, tubing, floating, and looking for rocks. Lin published her first book about rock painting in 1994, and it became a bestseller, spawning a new industry of how-to books about arts and crafts. She promoted her books in videos and on national television; they were translated into dozens of languages.

She founded ArtStone Press and began publishing and promoting her work. After she “retired,” any free time that wasn’t spent caring for her mother, Nancy Wellford, or kayaking with friends was spent planning, writing, creating, or volunteering.

She co-created and organized the annual literary festival, Books in Bloom, bringing bestselling authors to the Ozarks. She was an avid activist for the Buffalo River and local animal shelters, volunteering several days a week at the Good Shepherd Doggy Thrift Store in honor of her daughter, Erika.

In partnership with Dr. Nancy Haller and Carol Bitting, The Three Grandmothers, Lin went to court to protect the Buffalo River from polluting animal waste.

She was very active in the Green Forest United Methodist Church, especially Vacation Bible School, and a Carroll County Library supporter. Lin donated her art, time, expertise, and blood to the betterment of others and the environment.

Lin left behind her mortal form on April 13 in a flash flood across CR 705, which swept her car off a narrow bridge. The family thanks all those who volunteered in the rescue and recovery effort.

Lin was preceded in death by her father; daughter, Erika Kupfersberger; brother, Philip Wellford; husband, Klaus Kupfersberger; and son-in-law, Matt Murphy. She is survived by her mother; siblings/in-laws: Robin and Gordon Greeson, Karen and Ted Cameron, Eric Wellford, and Susan Wunsch Wellford; daughters: Kira Kupfersberger and Skye Pifer Murphy; and grandchildren: Cameron and Catelin Pifer; as well as beloved nieces and nephews.

Her memorial is planned for late July. Details to be announced. Donations in her honor can be made to the Good Shepherd Humane Society (6486 Hwy 62W, P.O. Box 285, Eureka Springs, AR 72632) and Arkansas Ozarks Waterkeeper (Arkansas Ozarks Waterkeeper, Inc., c/o Teresa Turk, Treasurer, 1408 W. Cleveland St., Fayetteville, AR 72701). Arrangements and cremation are under the direction of Cremations of the Ozarks. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.cremationsoftheozarks.com.