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Alvin B. Lindquist, 103, of Albert City died Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 at Methodist Manor in Storm Lake.
Funeral services were held Friday, Nov. 10, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Albert City. Burial was in Fairfield Township Cemetery in Albert City. In lieu of flowers, family requests that memorials be directed to Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Albert City. Sliefert Funeral Home in Albert City was in charge of the arrangements.
Alvin B. Lindquist was born Dec. 11, 1919, on a farm near Bancroft, Neb. His parents, Oscar Lindquist and Alma Lindquist (ne Erlandson) had immigrated to the United States from Skane, Sweden, in 1912.
The Lindquist family moved from Nebraska to Alta in the early 1920s where Oscar found work as a farm laborer and where Alma’s relatives had settled. Alvin was enrolled in first grade where classes were held in English rather than Swedish which was spoken at home. His reluctance to speak in class was immediately noticed and classmates soon called him “Stub,” shorthand for “stubborn.” That nickname stuck for the rest of his life.
Alvin pre-enlisted in the Navy in December 1937 while a senior in high school. He was called to active duty in July 1938 and served in the Pacific fleet for over four years on the U.S.S. Tennessee. He was aboard a ship during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. During the attack, he oversaw the engines which were needed to keep the oil fires engulfing nearby ships from reaching the Tennessee.
In 1942, Alvin was transferred to the U.S. Navy Shipyard in Norfolk, Va., and was an original crew member of U.S.S.401 which conducted operations in the South Atlantic. In 1944, he was transferred back to the United States to attend General Motors diesel school. After completing training, he was stationed at Gulf Port, Miss., where he was an instructor until the end of the war.
In July 1944, Alvin married his high school sweetheart, Bernice Peterson. It was a friendship and marriage that lasted for 70 years. To their union two sons were born, Clyde in 1947, and Craig in 1951. Alvin and Bernice farmed for 40 years on a quarter section farm east of Albert City. Typical for those times, Alvin raised several crops along with cattle, pigs and chickens. Bernice was a “farmer’s wife,” which meant dawn-to-dusk tasks of infinite variety. Alvin frequently recalled their early years of farming as “our pioneer days” since their home lacked electricity, indoor plumbing or heating.
Alvin served on several community boards including those of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and the Albert City Co-op.
Alvin enjoyed pastimes of fishing and motorcycle riding. He rode his favorite cycle, a red Honda scooter, until his mid-90s. He also enjoyed spending time in Palm Springs during Iowa winters.
Preceding Alvin in death were his parents; and his son, Dr. Clyde Lindquist, in 1988; and wife Bernice in 2007.
He is survived by his son, Dr. Craig Lindquist (Linda Knight) of San Francisco; Anita Lindquist (wife of Clyde) of Fort Dodge; granddaughter Britta Strong (Brad Strong); and six great-grandchildren of Normal, Ill.
