Photo by Karin Elton After more than 30 years with Marshall Radio, Brad and Joyce Strootman decided to retire and then weigh their options.

MARSHALL — Sure, when you think of Marshall Radio you think of the Linder Family Network, but you also might think of Brad Strootman and Joyce Holm Strootman.

After playing an integral part of the Marshall radio scene for over 30 years, the Strootmans packed up decades of memorabilia and memories last Friday and headed out of the station on East College Drive for the last time.

Joyce has been the host of the morning show at KMHL-AM for 33 years, except for vacations and a six-week break in 1991 when their son, Aaron, was born. She has also been the business manager. Brad was the general manager and CEO.

The two met as college students at Bemidji State, where they were involved in radio. After working at a radio station in Willmar and starting a radio station “from scratch,” in Alexandria, Brad became general manager in Marshall in 1985 having just turned 30.

“We’ve worked for four generations of Linders,” Brad said.

Harry Linder was retired, but still maintained a presence in the radio business when the Strootmans were hired.

“A true pioneer in Minnesota radio,” Joyce said.

Harry Linder started a radio station in Willmar in the late 1930s and his son, Don, started KTOE in Mankato in the 1950s. They also formed the Linder Farm Network.

“Back in 1978, I worked for his sons, Don and Bill,” Brad said. “Next came Steve Linder, Bill’s son, in Willmar for six years.”

Brad started working for John Linder, Don’s son, in 1985.

Brad was “great friends” with John Linder, he said.

“I was fiercely devoted to him,” he said. “He was a friend, a mentor, a partner. We had owned stations together.”

John Linder died of cancer in September of 2017 at the age of 63. His son, David, assumed ownership last fall and wants to take the radio network in a different direction, Brad said, so the Strootmans have chosen to retire.

Looking at it from David Linder’s perspective, it must be hard to run stations where the managers have been there for many years, Brad said.

“David decided ‘these are my stations and I want to be engaged and I want to run these,” he said.

The Strootmans looked at the situation pragmatically.

“You do the gracious thing and look at the facts, the changes, and opt to retire,” said Brad. “We want to protect the credibility of the station. You want to do your very best to protect the people, so you do the gracious thing and get out of the way. There are going to be changes in the industry. We want nothing but the best. Hopefully it continues its deep commitment to the community.”

They will get the feel of retirement for a few months and then weigh their options, he said.

“I’m looking for work,” he said. “There have been people who have approached us with offers and suggestions.”

“The Linder family have been a treasure to work for and their commitment to local broadcasting,” said Joyce. “That’s what it’s all about as far as I’m concerned. You can listen to music in many ways — but it’s about serving the community.”

The Strootmans plan to stay in Marshall.

“We do not want to leave Marshall,” he said. “We were deeply affected by the support of the community after the death of our son (who died in January at the age of 27). With the outpouring of love and support, we won’t leave.”

Brad Strootman is only the third general manager at Marshall radio, after Gil Freseth and Richard “Dick” Lusk.

When the Strootmans came to Marshall, there were just two stations, both of which stopped transmitting at midnight.

“Our job was to take it to the next level and we took it from a 3,000 to a 100,000-watt station,” said Brad.

“Joyce and I bought KARL radio in Tracy and then a few years later sold it to KMHL Broadcasting,” said Brad. “Next came the purchase of KBJJ and then we were a four-station group.”

“We added professional sports contracts — the Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves were added,” he said.

An achievement that they didn’t plan for was getting recognition for broadcasting 358 local sporting events in a year. Almost half of those broadcasts happened to be in women’s sports, for which Marshall Radio received a Kwame McDonald Girls’ and Women’s Sports in the Media Award in 2018.

“We’re proud of that,” said Dan Paluch, the station’s news director. “The reason there is a disparity at all is whoever goes to state will get more games aired.”

Paluch said he’s enjoyed working with the Strootmans.

“It was a pleasure working with the Strootmans,” he said. “From Brad trusting a 24-year-old kid to take on the news director role to working with Joyce and learning from her long and respected career. They’re people I hope to keep in touch with as a resource because you don’t find that kind of longevity in this business just anywhere.”

For their commitment to the community, the Strootmans were bestowed an Honorary Lifetime Membership as Southwest Minnesota State University alumni. Brad started the Heart to Heart charity in 1986. The regionally-supported charity donates gifts and food to needy families during the holiday season. In addition, he has served two terms on the SMSU Foundation board and was on the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce board.

Brad plans to keep involved with Lyon County Heart to Heart and his other community involvements such as Lyon County Pheasants Forever and youth shooting programs.

The Strootmans are passionate about local radio.

“Reading the obituaries on the air, cancellations, rosary, high school and college sports — it’s what the community wants,” said Joyce. “Whatever serves the community best.”

Without local media, Brad asks how can you know what’s going on in your town. How do you know who to vote for?

“That was the original intent — an informed electorate,” he said.

It’s also important to support local retailers, he said.

“If they don’t know anything about a retailer, it’s easy to go online,” he said.

Brad said David LeGault from KOWZ/KRUE Radio and Linder Farm Network will oversee the transition to a new general manager who has yet to be named.

“I’ve been on the air for 40 years — not all here — almost every day so it will be a change,” Joyce said. “Onto another chapter.”