Linda Kay Cornelius

Linda Kay Cornelius of Apple Valley, Minnesota passed away on Thursday, May 15, 2025 at the age of 67 from ovarian cancer. She was originally diagnosed in the spring of 2024 and put up a valiant fight being able to be declared cancer free in November 2024. In the spring of 2025 the cancer returned with a vengeance and quickly won the battle. She was born on April 11, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she grew up in Fridley, Minnesota, until the age of 12 when she moved with her family to Bemidji, Minnesota. Later, at the age of 15, she moved to Elk River, Minnesota where she graduated from Elk River High School in 1976.

Linda attended and graduated from Bemidji State University in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. In 1989 she returned to college to obtain her EBD/LD certifications from St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Linda worked as a high school teacher starting her career as a General Science/Chemistry Teacher for Holdingford High School in Holdingford, Minnesota from 1981 to 1986. In 1986 she moved to Center School, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, to teach her love of biology, natural science, and general science classes. After obtaining her LD and EBD certifications she taught at Meeker and Wright Special Education Cooperative Village Ranch Alternative Program in Cokato, Minnesota, and ended her career with 31 years at Intermediate District 917, several of those years with the Juvenile Justice Center. Linda loved each and every one of her students, even the one who hit her over the head with a board that required several stitches. She was determined to help any and all students and dedicated her life to helping students love to learn.

Linda was actively involved in her church at Hope Community Church in Lakeville, Minnesota, where she attended church services, Bible study, and taught Sunday School.

Linda loved the outdoors, camping, canoeing, gardening, the family cabin on an island, spending time with all her family, especially the younger nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. She especially enjoyed traveling to Texas in her later years to visit her sister and family. Linda will always be remembered for doing crafts of all kinds, sewing, painting, and scrapbooking and most recently making “junk journals”.

She is survived by her parents, Theodore and Carolyn Cornelius; her sister, Cyndi (David) Adascheck; her brother, David (Lori) Cornelius; along with her nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, Ryan (Jessica) Adascheck and their children, Audrey 13, Anna 10, Connor 7; Eric (Lynn) Adascheck; Tiffany (Robert Carlson) Cornelius Carlson and their children Ella 6, Evan 4, and Emmett 2; Brittany (William Gant) Cornelius Gant and their children Evelyn 3, and Kayce 1; Cody Cornelius and Ashley Carpenter and their children Oliver 3, Hendrick 2, and Silas 6 months.

The family would like to thank all of Linda’s friends and neighbors for the love and care they showered over her with meals and companionship.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life at Hope Community Church in Lakeview, Minnesota, on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Linda’s ashes will be laid to rest in a private ceremony at the family plot at Kahbakong Cemetery in Taylors Falls, Minnesota.