Mary Helen Linde

MARY HELEN LINDE, age 89 of Janesville, died on the afternoon of Monday, September 28, 2026, at Whispering Creek in Janesville.

Mary was born in Mankato on June 29, 1937, to parents Oscar and Alice (Decker) Enger. She attended Trinity Lutheran School in Janesville before graduating from Janesville High School with the class of 1955. As a young woman she began her working life at the bakery in Janesville. On June 7, 1957, Mary was united in marriage to Leon Emil Linde at Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville. She then worked with her husband at the Minnesota Home for the Deaf and Blind before staying home to raise her children. Her girls remember her fantastic homemade food, and the countless items of clothing she sewed for them. After the children were older Mary worked in the Quality Control Department at Bird’s Eye Foods in Waseca for fifteen years, eventually retiring in 1992. Even in her retirement, she stayed busy working at the Waseca Senior Citizen’s Center and making braille books for the blind. In her younger years, Mary enjoyed camping and taking snowmobile trips. Later she enjoyed crocheting, puzzles, traveling to Branson, MO with her brother Bill and his wife, and she was happy to have visited both Ireland and Norway with friends. She was a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville where she had many lasting friends.

Mary is survived by her daughters, Wanda (Ralph) Mitchell of Fargo, ND, Bonny (Brian) Bemis of Morristown, and Lori (Dean) Nikoley of Madison Lake; her grandchildren, Renae Abraham, Todd Abraham, Corey Abraham, Christian Abraham, Tony (Krista) Brown, Jason (Justine) Bemis, Nick (Sarah) Bemis, Joshua Nikoley, Jesse Nikoley, and Serena (Ray) Sorenson; twelve great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; brother Paul Enger; sister-in-law, LaVon Foley; and many nieces and nephews and their families. She was preceded in death by both of her parents; her husband; a sister in infancy, Marion Enger; brothers Bill (Harriet) Enger and Phil (Deb) Enger; and sons-in-law, George Fields and Mark Abraham.

A graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2026, at Smith’s Mill Cemetery.