By Edan Kilby ‘27
“You kids, you want to include me in your life. And just bits and pieces of it. I don’t get to see you as much as I want,” said Lin Kilby, grandmother to 15 grandchildren.
Kilby grew up in Pennsylvania and went to Pequea Valley High School. Although she never really liked school, she excelled in English and History, her two favorite subjects. Her dislike for school began early because of a negative experience with a first grade teacher.
“I hated school always,” Kilby said.
At just 15 years old, Kilby became pregnant with her first child. Because of her age, her parents had to stand before a judge to allow her to get married. She married her first husband in 1966, and later earned her GED the same year her high school graduated.
“I went to take my GED test, and I was the first one done,” Kilby said. “But I passed.”
Throughout her life, Kilby moved many times. She lives in places including Gap, PA; Newark, D; North Carolina; Dover, Maryland, and several towns in Lancaster County. Some moves were exciting, while others came during difficult times in her life.
When Kilby and her second husband, known to the family as Pop, moved to North Carolina after his retirement, they hoped for a peaceful life near the water. Instead, they experienced eight hurricanes in six years.
“I didn’t want to be there anymore,” Kilby said.
Despite the challenges she faced, Kilby always found comfort in cooking and baking. She taught herself many recipes by observing others, reading cookbooks, and practicing in the kitchen.
“I learned everything just by watching,” Kilby said.
Kilby especially enjoys baking and remembers making pineapple upside-down cakes repeatedly after the birth of one of her daughters.
“I think I made five in one week,” Kilby said with a laugh.
Today, cooking remains one of the ways Kilby connects with her family. Her grandchildren often remember her homemade meals and desserts, as well as the time spent together in the kitchen.
Edan Kilby, one of her grandchildren, said baking together has become one of her favorite memories.
Kilby described her grandchildren as being completely different from one another, but said she appreciates every moment she gets to spend with them.
“I want to be your grandmother,” Kilby said. “I don’t want to be your pain in the butt grandma. I want to be your friend if you want to come talk to me about anything.”
Kilby also reflects on how she hopes her family remembers her in the future.
“I’d like the kids to still think I was an okay person,” Kilby said.
Through decades of moving, raising children, loss, and new beginnings, Kilby’s life story is one of resilience and family connection. Whether she is sharing stories from her childhood or baking in the kitchen with her grandchildren, she continues to leave lasting memories and impressions with the people around her.