Linda Oosse, known by many in the community as someone who cares for all sorts of animals — from goats and cows to chickens and pigs — has been looking after and learning about farm animals since she was a child. Oosse’s focus these days has turned to adopting rescues though, as well as continuing to care for the growing number of goats and other animals on her property.
Oosse participated in the 4-H youth development organization growing up, so there were always animals at home that she and her siblings tended to. Through 4-H animal programs, she learned how to work with horses, pigs, and other livestock, and even earned the title of Reserve Grand Champion 4-H Market Hog in her first year. Oosse’s father, Leon Kelderhouse, had a small hobby farm on their family’s 48 acre property in Traverse City, where she also learned how to raise animals like baby calves and piglets. There were always chickens around, as well as pet dogs and barn cats.
While she was born and raised in Traverse City, Oosse’s parents, Leon and Mary Lou, had a cabin on the Lake Leelanau Narrows that the family loved staying at in the summertime. Her mother, a Plamondon, and her father, a Kelderhouse, have history in Leelanau that goes back to the 1800s.
