Linda Hiller Deppe, is a special person, wife, mother and grandmother, and valued graphic designer for the Parelli Foundation. Linda started volunteering as a Graphic Designer in February of 2012 for the Parelli Horsemanship Fund, this was way before it was the Institute and before the Foundation.
Linda worked in her real life as a Graphic Designer for a group of community newspapers and magazines. In 2009 there was a lot of downsizing in that industry so she started working for two non-profits that were close to her heart, the Parelli Education Institute now the Parelli Foundation and Reserve, an Interfaith Older Adult Program, a non-profit that helps elderly people live in their homes. It should be noted she does this work at a greatly reduced prices.
Linda is a devout Parelli follower, says “she recruits any and all people to natural horsemanship whenever and wherever she can”. Linda took and passed her level one from Gretchen Arndt, 2 star Junior Parelli Instructor at the horse First Farm in Brooklyn, WI. Now between working for the two organization closes to Linda’s heart, she is working on her level 2-3 with her horse Dakota.
3 years ago Linda started a class at a nearby therapeutic riding center called LifeStriders in Delafield, WI and she asked Gretchen if she would be willing to volunteer to teach this class so that the staff and volunteers at the riding center could become familiar and learn natural horsemanship techniques for the therapy horses. 3 years later Linda is still coordinating the classes and Gretchen continues to teach these classes.
Linda says “her horse Dakota is a “senior Thoroughbred, like me!” Henry my grandson is a serious little rider. He is interested in the fine points, technical aspects and follows directions well”.
Whenever Pat comes to Madison Wisconsin, Linda makes sure she is there to see him in person. Recently Linda and her granddaughter Gwen were able to visit Pat while he was at the Mid-West Horse Fair in Madison and he graciously let Linda take their picture gave Gwen his autograph.
Recently Linda has been dealing with her daughter Claire’s Liposarcoma Recovery. This is Linda’s beautiful, hilarious, brave and thoughtful, Dearest Claire and her son Henry! After spending some time in general discomfort and feeling like something just wasn’t right in her body, a large mass, the size of a football, was found growing in her abdomen. A preliminary biopsy showed it was a large malignant liposarcoma tumor. The tumor was successfully removed (along with one kidney), and now Claire, who is a single mom, is facing a long road to recovery while caring for her two children.
We are truly blessed that Linda has chosen the Parelli Foundation to share her vast talents in Graphic Design.