Speech Outline Template: Tribute Speech
Name: Kathy Boman
Speech Instructor: Amy Jurrens
Northwest Iowa Community College
Spring 2012
Specific Goal: I want my audience to understand how my sister Linda Oldenkamp
has been such an inspiration to me in my life and the lives of many others.
INTRODUCTION
Get Attention: 96 birthdays, 28 anniversaries, and various graduations to commemorate and
celebrate every year…and SHE remembers them all. Among my siblings, their spouses, their
children and spouses, and their grandchildren, not one family member misses receiving a card for
each of these occasions from my sister Linda.
Show Credibility: I am the youngest of ten children, and my sister Linda Oldenkamp is one of
my six sisters. She lives of their farm between Sheldon and Sanborn with her husband of 34
years Bob O. She is a loving mom and grandma to three married children and five grand
children. Her youngest son was tragically killed almost two years ago.
Thesis: [complete sentence] Linda is such an inspiration to me in her life as a homemaker, wife,
and mom; in her commitment to extended family; and especially in her faithfulness she
exemplifies in her spiritual life.
BODY
Main Point #1: [complete sentence] My sister Linda inspires me as a dedicated homemaker,
wife, mom, and grandma.
Support
A. I admire her abilities of keeping house, cooking, canning, gardening, and yard work
(all without an ounce of resentment or complaint that I am aware of.)
Home canned tomato juice, applesauce, frozen corn and homemade pies.
B. Support to her husband Bob for 34 years: on farm, in his business, in his activities on
school and church councils. Hauls loads of corn and soybeans to town all throughout harvest
season and helps with fall field work.
C. That I have witnessed, Linda and Bob make a point of visiting their three married
children and their families several times every year, even though they live many miles away.
(Transition – complete sentence) Even though Linda is extremely involved with her home and the
lives of her husband, her children, and their families, she is ever so faithful in showing
encouragement to her extended family.
Main Point #2: [complete sentence] Within our entire large extended family, I am inspired that
all of our birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations are commemorated by my sister Linda with a
card of love and encouragement.
A. “There are some things in life that you can count on. Aunt Linda will always send a
birthday card”- as remembered by my nieces Shelli, Colleen, and Missy.
B. There are currently 96 members in our extended family. How does Linda so faithfully
remember them all? Linda told me she keeps a family directory at her desk. At the beginning of
every month, she circles all the birthdays and anniversaries that occur in that month so she
knows when to send them. She keeps boxes of cards on hand that she purchases from the GEMS
club at her church.
C. Her motivation: Linda told me that when she went to Patricia Stephens College in
Milwaukee right after high school, she became very homesick. She greatly welcomed any cards
or letters she received. This impacted her so much that she vowed to faithfully send cards and
letters to those she loves.
That was 1975: she has been faithfully doing this for 37 years!!!
(Transition – complete sentence) I admire the faithful ways Linda remembers us in her extended
family, but I especially look up to how she projects herself in her spiritual walk and
commitments.
Main Point #3: [complete sentence] My sister Linda is an inspiration to me in the ways she
displays her grace, faith and commitment in her spiritual life.
A. A woman of prayer and devotion.
B. Church Secretary-10 years and GEMS counselor-21 years.
C. TESTED BY FIRE: the tragic and sudden death of her youngest son Brandon.
Linda has told me and others: “Only by the Grace of God and the prayers of God’s people were
my husband and I able to get through this time of the loss of our son…and grand babies help
too.”
Advice Linda has given me: “Believe what the bible says about our time to die. No blame on
anyone.”
Linda commented to me that “Psalm 139:16 helped make sense of God’s timing for Brandon
even though it was very hard.”
This verse says: “Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written
in your book before one of them came to be” (NIV).
Linda told me since Brandon’s death she is “more deliberate about encouraging parents to tell
kids about special things they have done.”
(Transition – complete sentence) The manners where Linda displays her spiritual gifts of faith,
trust, patience and grace are ways that I want to model my spiritual life after.
CONCLUSION
(Summarize)
Main Point #1: Linda is an inspiration to me through her roles as a dedicated home maker, wife,
mom and Grandma.
Main Point #2: Linda is an inspiration to me through her commitments in remembering every
single person in her extended family.
Main Point #3: Linda is especially an inspiration to me in the faith, grace, patience, and trust she
displays in her spiritual walk with her Lord.
Closing Statement: Linda, you are a woman I look up to so much. How you show your gifts
of dedication, commitment, grace, and faithfulness are ways that I seek to model my own
life after. I will forever be thankful that I have been blessed to have you as my sister.
Works Cited
Oldenkamp, Linda. Personal and phone interviews. April 14, 2012.
Riedel, Missy; Hoeksma, Colleen; Eveland, Shelli. Email and tribute. April 3, 2012.
The Holy Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. Print. New International Vers.