Kathy Vilendrer, Founder and Director
In Memoriam (1955-2025)
ABOUT MANITOU
The name Manitou is a Native American term that means the “spirit within all things”. It is similar to the concept of Qi (Chi) or Brahmin. The name was chosen to honor the Native American people of Northern MN where the retreats are typically held. A foundational aspect of the program is education; helping participants learn the many ways that our food, environment and lifestyle choices are contributing to our health issues. A wide range of helpful and sometimes provocative topics are covered. The retreat is designed to be a holistic experience for guests. In addition to wellness lectures and guest speakers, the retreat offers mind-body-spirit activities such as yoga, nature walks and guided imagery. Opportunities for therapies such as massage, acupuncture, chiropractics and health coaching are available for an additional fee. Meals are focused on a nutritious plant based diet emphasizing fresh, whole foods that are locally grown or organic.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Manitou Health Institute's Founder and Director, Kathy Vilendrer, passed away in May of 2025. She was a former middle school health and science teacher and business entrepreneur with several successful startups under her belt. Kathy held a Masters degree in Holistic Health Studies from St Catherine University, a Master's in Education from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from St Thomas University in St Paul, MN. She also completed a health coaching certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York.
Kathy was passionate about health and wellness. In 1991, her father was diagnosed by the Mayo Clinic with late stage metastasized prostate cancer that was too advanced for conventional therapy. This was the start of her journey into the world of holistic healing. She helped her father fully heal his cancer through nutritional and lifestyle changes. This convinced Kathy of the healing power of holistic therapies. She devoted much of the next 30+ years of her life to attending health conferences and seminars and reviewing scientific literature on health and healing. Over time a vision was born to meld this passion with her business and educational backgrounds to create a multi-day mind-body-spirit education retreat for people of all ages. She had infused her many years of research with her own philosophy of health to create the programming provided by the Manitou Health Institute. Her goal was to help others create a better sense of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Kathy believed that the body is capable of self-healing and that health can often be restored when one fully supports the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of one's being. Sorting through the extensive and often contradictory research to create educational programs that were easy-to-understand was her priority. She hoped that participants would be motivated to put into practice new lifestyle changes they could follow long after the retreat was completed.
Kathy and her husband, Kent were married 46 years and split their time between homes in Eden Prairie and Grand Rapids, MN. They have three grown children (two are MDs) and seven grandchildren. When she was not reading books or journals on health related topics, you could find her helping others try to heal themselves and experimenting with "living food" recipes.
Kathy will always be remembered for her beautiful smile, engaging personality, passionate sprit and generous nature.
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