John Randall Linder

Mankato Mortuary
1001 North Riverfront Drive
Mankato, MN 56001
507-388-2202

John Randall Backlund Linder passed away on September 22 in Mankato. John was born on October 22, 1953, the second of five sons of Donald and Margaret Linder.  He will be remembered for his large heart, his concern for everyone around him, and his kind spirit.  He combined these qualities with a business savvy and a willingness to take risks.  John knew what was important—and what was not.

John attended Mankato Wilson Campus High School, Mankato State, and the University of Minnesota. After college, John worked at Minnesota Electric Supply Company and the family radio business. 

Over the course of four decades, John built a group of radio stations in Minnesota and Iowa. The sounds of the stations he owned and managed can now be heard from South Dakota to Wisconsin, and to nearly the Canadian border.  He loved working with his radio friends to build stations that serve their communities.  His employees were like family to him.

John had many passions. He loved traveling, hunting, fishing, boating, hanging with friends, Italian opera, and flamenco dancing.  Although he always enjoyed exploring new places (because he was often the first among his friends to visit a new location, his friends sometimes called him “Scout”), he loved his regular haunts: Mankato, Lake Washington, and Naples.

John felt blessed to grow up in an exceptionally close family and to have the opportunity to work with his father, until his passing two years ago. He is proud of his son David and his family, who provided great comfort and joy to him after moving back to Minnesota in the last months of his life.

John was grateful for the years of joy, and lately tears, with his loving partner, Molly Smith. John fought his cancer with a grace and courage that amazed all around him.  He also was appreciative of the support of Lorna Harmuth, the mother of his son David,

John wishes his family and friends well as he scouts out our ultimate destination. Rather than flowers or other gifts, John asks everyone who cared about him simply to “pay it forward.”

A celebration of John’s life will be held at the Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery on Sunday October 1 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a time for remembrances starting at 3:00 p.m.

John is survived by longtime partner, Molly Smith, his son David and his wife, Sarah, and their two children, Harry and Louie, and David’s mother, Lorna Harmuth. He is also survived by his brothers Douglas, Bruce, Tom, and their families.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Margaret Linder, and his brother Jeffrey.