Linda M. Retel

After an almost two-year struggle with brain cancer, Linda Mildred (Kallinen) Retel passed away peacefully on March 10, 2025 at the J. A. Wedum Residential Hospice facility in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota at the age of 68 years.   Linda was born on October 18, 1956 in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota as the first child of Charles Ernest and Mildred (Hillukka) Kallinen. 

Linda was raised by her parents with her siblings on the family farm in Wolf Lake, Minnesota where she was a big support to the family helping with household and farm chores.

She attended elementary school in Wolf Lake and then went on to Menahga for school starting in the seventh grade.  She graduated as salutatorian of her class from Menahga High School in 1974. After high school, she attended the Detroit Lakes Vocational Technical Institute and received a Medical Secretary diploma in June of 1975. 

She then relocated to the Twin Cities area to live and work. Her first job was with Abbott Northwestern Hospital where she started in the cardiology department as a medical secretary.  Her potential was quickly seen and she was offered training to become a cardiology technician. The following year she was hired by a group of cardiology doctors and progressed from performing echocardiograms to becoming the Director of the Pacemaker Clinic. She finished her career at Abbott Northwestern Hospital splitting her time between the Pacemaker/CD Clinic and the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation.

While she was employed full time, Linda once again pursued her education.   She began her college studies at Augsburg College and then transferred to Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as an online student.  She majored in business administration and graduated magna cum laude in 2000 with a degree of Bachelor of Science.

Linda married Ed Retel on October 11, 2008 in Plymouth, Minnesota.   They made their home in Plymouth and then relocated to Elk River, Minnesota.  After Linda’s retirement in 2015, Ed and Linda were able to enjoy many years of travel and cruises together. 

Linda had a lot of love to give.  As the oldest sibling, Linda most often took charge of planning and coordinating family activities. She loved her family and was close to her many nieces and nephews.  She had a very big heart and was an extremely generous person.

Linda and her husband, Ed, were an invaluable support to her mother after her father passed away.  They spent endless hours helping her with many tasks and taking her to appointments without ever expecting anything in return. 

For many years, Linda and Ed assembled a calendar annually as gifts to all her siblings for Christmas.  The calendar included birthdays, anniversaries, births and all significant family events.   This calendar helped us all to remember those special occasions of our precious family members. 

Linda is survived by her husband, Edward Retel of Elk River, Minnesota; her mother, Mildred Kallinen of Menahga, Minnesota;  two sisters, Diane (Elias Aho) of Menahga, Minnesota and Eva (Howard Hook) of Annandale, Minnesota; six brothers, Steven (Aila) of Brainerd, Minnesota, Brian (Joyce) of Menahga, Minnesota, Dean (Sharon) of Big Lake, Minnesota, Larry (Caroline) of Wolf Lake, Minnesota, Michael (Maija) of Wolf Lake, Minnesota and Brent (Melissa) of Ellendale, North Dakota.   She is also survived by 30 nieces and nephews and 33 great nieces and nephews and a host of friends. 

Linda was preceded in death by her father, Charles Ernest Kallinen, on September 30, 2018, mother-in-law, Helen Retel, on January 22, 2012 and brother-in-law, David Retel, on November 30, 2020. 

Memorial service 11:00 am Saturday, March 22 at Laestadian Lutheran Church, 25 Juniper Ave NW, Menahga. Visitation from 10:00 am at the church with lunch following the service.

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