George Lindberg

George Byron Lindberg passed away January 20 in the Perham hospital. He was 94. Byron was born September 18, 1918, in Detroit Lakes, MN, the son of Lena and George Lindberg (his father died of the Spanish flu before Byron was born). His mother's father, August Guethling, owned a hotel in Detroit Lakes (later it became Lakeside 1891), and in the summers of 1936 and 1937, Byron worked there and on the big dock, renting swimming suits and boats to customers. His mother married Fred Foster and had four more children; they moved to Breckenridge and Byron graduated from Breckenridge High School in 1937. He attended Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis for a year and then enlisted in the army in 1940. While serving as a non-commissioned officer at Fort Snelling, he met Helen Nelson; they were married in October of 1942. When World War II began he was called back into service. He went to Engineer Officers' Candidate School in Belvoir, Virginia, and was stationed at Fort Ord in California before serving 25 months in the Pacific theater in World War II (New Guinea, the Philippines, and the occupation of Japan). He had commanded 56 men and supervised ship-to-shore communications for landing operations. He was awarded the Bronze Star.

In 1945 he returned to Breckenridge and with his step-father and two half brothers formed a business known as Foster and Sons. He later became the sole owner of Lindberg Linoleum and Carpet Company. In the early 1950s he was called back to serve 13 months in the Korean conflict. He remained in the Army Reserve and retired as a Lt. Colonel in 1978. The Lindbergs were active members of the First Methodist Church in Breckenridge and Byron served on the school board. He and his family enjoyed camping trips with friends while his children were young. In 1980 he sold his business and moved to Little McDonald Lake.

Byron and Helen became active members of the First Methodist Church of Perham. They enjoyed early morning swims together at PACC, cross-country skied in winter, and tended large vegetable and flower gardens (he became a Master Gardener in 1991). He was a member of the Lions Club for over four decades. He was an avid fisherman and in later years enjoyed being a member of the Three Fingers Carving Club; he took special pleasure in his cribbage games with friends in Richville and Dent. He loved the birds he attracted to his feeders at lakeside and over the years he built many birdhouses for neighbors and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, four half siblings, and his wife, Helen, who died in April of 2007. He lived alone in his lakeside home until September of 2012 when he moved to Prairie View in Perham. He has three married children: Gwen (Jim) Nagel of Grantham, NH, and Harrison, ME, Mark (Wendie) Lindberg of Roseville, MN, and Mary (Kim) Adelman of Poway, California.; and three grandchildren: Blake and Reed Adelman and Zoe Lindberg. He also leaves many friends and loving neighbors. His children are grateful to them (especially Prudy Konley) for their generous acts of kindness over the years and to the staff of Prairie View for their care.