Linda Jo Miller-Wiklanski

Linda was born November 13th, 1949, in Ionia, Michigan, daughter of Vernon and Doris (Burger) Miller. Linda’s adventures began while growing up with her younger sister, Cindi, “down home” in the house their parents built. The sisters spent their days playing by the creek, chasing minnows with their toes, daydreaming on their Thinking Rock and reading in their apple tree house. Linda laughed about catching flies in their teeth while driving their motorcycle to school and about letting their hair fly free in the back of their parent’s Mustang convertible. Linda graduated from Saranac High School with the Class of 1968 and enrolled at Montcalm Community College where she participated in community theater and found her passion for teaching.

While attending Montcalm, Linda met her first husband and had her first child, beginning her lifelong adventure as a mom. The couple lived in Kansas during her husband’s military assignment and then moved to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, where their second child was born. The family relocated to the Upper Peninsula in 1978, where Linda continued the role of stay-at-home mom, teaching her girls to find their own adventures, both big and small.

Linda loved horseback riding, quilting, cross country skiing, and walking in the woods with her dog, Bojangles. She played guitar and sang with her daughters, family and friends and eventually, found the courage to play rhythm guitar and sing harmony for REFLECTIONS, a local country-oldies band.

As her children grew older, Linda recognized it was time to focus on her personal great adventure. In 1985, she and the girls moved to Marquette where she enrolled at Northern Michigan University to pursue a teaching degree. It was at NMU that she met fellow adventurer and man of her dreams, Paul Wiklanski, who was also working on a teaching degree. Linda graduated in 1988 and worked in several educator roles in the Marquette area until attending a job fair in 1992 that led her to a full-time teaching position above the Arctic Circle in the remote, fly-in village of Noatak, Alaska. She spent 8 years in Alaska as “Teacher Lynda” with Paul by her side for a large portion of that time. The couple was married on July 22nd, 1994, during one of their summer visits home. When the Alaskan adventure ended, the couple came back to settle in the Marquette area living in the “treehouse” that they designed and built together.

Linda loved exploring her property, picking blueberries and wildflowers, she could see and photograph a whole community within the petals of a single flower. She created and shared stories about the many critters on her property. She enjoyed cooking meals for her family on cast iron, talking with her daughters and grandkids, laughing with them, listening to music, reading, drawing Zentangle artworks, watching movies and tv shows (particularly Big Bang Theory).

Linda and Paul’s retirement adventures led them across the country with the Southwest being a favorite destination. As Linda embarks on her final adventure, may her memory encourage all who have walked with her to be inspired to seek, create and pursue their own personal adventures.

Linda is survived by her husband, Paul; her daughters, Cherokee (Debbie) Helms-Gleason and Brandi Kohlsmith; grandchildren, Cheyenne, Walker, Coltin, Seere, Amelia, Hunter and Mason and nieces, Tomi (Denny) Parsons and Kim (Grant) Salter.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, and her sister, Cindi Doty.

Honoring Linda’s request, a private celebration of her life will be held at a later date. In the meantime, in her honor, raise a glass of your favorite beverage in celebration of her grand adventures.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to a favorite charity of donor’s choice.

Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at fassbenderswansonhansen.com.