When Linda Schrader was 13 years old, her father took the family on a trip to Washington DC. After a tour of the Capitol and the White House, the family took a side trip to Gettysburg, where they took an extensive tour of the battlefield.
When they returned home to Philadelphia, her father gave her a copy of Mr. Lincoln's Army by Bruce Catton, and that sparked a livelong interest in history. Eventually she graduated from Gettysburg College with a BA in English.
After college she worked for General Accident Insurance starting as an Underwriter and eventually progressing to a Business Analyst. She also worked for the Philadelphia Contributionship as a Business Analyst. At that point, she decided she decided to change careers, and worked for the Home Depot. She also started to volunteer for Christ Church, and eventually joined the interpretive staff of Christ Church Preservation Trust. She also was also the Financial Assistant for the
Linda also was active in her community, having served on several Boards of Directors, including the YWCA of Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia Victim Services. She still lives in the Northwood/Frankford neighborhood.
