linder was born in rauma, finland to karl oskar heinonen and alexandra karsten. the family immigrated to boston in 1902, living in quincy, massachusetts and brighton, boston, where the family name was changed to linder. his father, a carpenter, and mother, a patternmaker, both worked in a ship yard. he became a naturalized citizen in 1913. he also worked as a pattern maker and married irene laitinen, another finnish immigrant, in 1910.