Linda Marie Pope, age 73 of Tracy, passed away unexpectedly from a massive heart attack, on Friday, July 5, 2024 at Sanford Tracy Medical Center. For those who would like to attend, there will be a Graveside Service at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, July 13, 2024 at the Tracy City Cemetery. A Celebration of Linda’s Life with time for food and sharing of memories will be held, following the graveside service, from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Tracy Eagle’s Club. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice.com. Stephens Funeral Service – Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Linda Marie (Hohler) Pope was born in Tracy, Minnesota on February 10th, 1951 and was the one and only daughter of Herbert and Marie (Dilly) Hohler. She was the baby of the family and never let her brothers, Gary, Bob, Tim and Randy, forget that. She would tell you they picked on her all the time, even after they fed her minnows and told her they were Kipper Snacks, she still loved them tremendously.
Linda lived in Tracy the majority of her life and attended both Elementary and High school there. After school, she worked various jobs until she started cooking at Valhalla Steakhouse. She was hooked, it was cooking jobs from there on out. She loved it! She loved it so much she would even volunteer many times to cook for the Eagle’s steak fry and the Legion Color Guard. After working at Valhalla, Linda and her sister-in-law Kathy, owned and operated The Skandia in downtown Tracy. She also worked at many other restaurants including the Chuckwagon, Kronborg Inn, Shetek Bend, and of course the Red Rooster. She even spent time cooking at Tracy Public School, where she was able see her sweetheart every day. But you will have to ask Kel if that was a good thing or not.
She had so many fond memories of all the places she worked, from joking with her many favorite customers, enjoying the elementary kids’ stories, to good times had working with co-workers who undoubtedly became friends. In her late 20’s Linda’s life had a big change with the birth of a little bundle of joy, her one and only daughter, Leah.
Being a mother and grandmother was Linda’s most favorite accomplishment and brought her so much joy, and there were times they didn’t make it easy. Then in her 30’s Linda met a man with a beard and a Bronco who became the love of her life, Kelvin Pope. They were united in marriage on July 2nd, 1983. He not only loved Linda unconditionally, even when she was bossing him around, but he loved her daughter like his own and that only made her love him more. Linda enjoyed canning tomatoes 101 different ways, watching the birds and squirrels, snuggles with her pets, relaxing and fishing at the lake and of course cooking delicious food for others.
But her most favorite thing to do was spend time with family. Whether that was getting together to have a few beers on Friday night at Tim & Kathy’s, making lunch for Randy & Sharon, coffee on Saturdays with Gary, Charlie and Nancy, catching up with all her favorite cousins at the family reunions, or hosting the holidays for Leah, Jess and the grandkids – she just loved being with her family more than anything else.
She is survived by her loving husband of 41 years, Kelvin, favorite daughter Leah (Jess) Bittner of Lamberton, MN, four grandchildren that she loved beyond measure: Garrett Marsh (special friend Kierra Highby) of Mankato, MN, Cade Bittner of Jackson, MN, Alyssa and Sydney Bittner both of Lamberton, MN, older brothers Gary Hohler of Tracy, MN, Robert (Carrie) Hohler of Bellevue, NE, Randy (Sharon) Hohler of Tracy, MN, Sister-in-law Kathy Hohler of Tracy, MN, Sister-in-law Kathy (Rich) Kallemeyn of Tyler, MN, brother-in-law Kendall Pope of Mesa, AZ and many cousins, nieces, nephews and dear friends. Oh, and we can’t forget her fur baby Archie.
She is reuniting in heaven with her beloved parents Herb and Marie Hohler, brother Tim Hohler, Mother and father in-law Brandt and Elenora Pope, sister-in-law Diane Hohler, and her fur babies Buster, Lucky, Gus and Greta.