Obituaries: Verner "Swede" Lindbeck, 1943, Winn Parish, LA Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: March 25, 1943 Winn Parish Enterprise and June 18, 1980 Winn Parish Enterprise News-American No. 1 Carey Salt Co.'s Oldest Employee, "Swede", Dies Verner Linbeck, 61, known in Winnfield as "Swede", died suddenly at his boarding house Saturday after completing his week's work at the Carey Salt Company where he had been employed since December 20, 1929. Funeral services were held at the Winnfield Presbyterian Church with the pastor, Rev. Alwin Stokes, officiating. Interment was in the Winnfield Cemetery. A native of Sweden, Lindbeck came to Winnfield with the Sullivan Core Drill Company that made the test that discovered the salt dome here. He later worked for the Dravo Construction Company that made the shaft into the mine, and since that time has been an employee of the salt company. No known relatives survive. No. 2 (Photos and Text by Steve Colwell, Editor) Six Year Search For 'Lost' Grandfather Ends in Winnfield A tingling sensation swept through my body as I witnessed a moving graveside ceremony for Verner "Swede" Lindbeck by two of his eight grandchildren at the Winnfield City Cemetery. Customarily, most graveside activities are solemn events. But not this one. I waited, almost anxiously it seems, for one of the 20 plus people in attendance to let loose a big cheer. It really wasn't necessary, big broad smiles covered their faces like little kids eating candy. The biggest smiles, however, belonged to the two grandchildren of "Swede", who died in Winnfield on March 20, 1943. The former Carey Salt Mind employee died of a heart attack after living in the Winnfield community for some 13 years. Just one day before Father's Day and 37 years after his death, a special marker was placed on his grave by grandsons Ola Lindbeck and Ivar Sundstrom. For Ola, the brief ceremonies were worth every ounce of energy and every cent he had spent the past six years tracing his grandfather's mysterious path from March, 1906 when he emigrated to Minnesota. A cross, made of a piece of fir wood from the barn where "Swede" was raised and constructed by Ivar, was placed at the head of the grave to signify the family circle had been completed. The two grandsons arrived in the United States on June 1, 1980 for the sole purpose of visiting the gravesite and meeting with people that might have known "Swede". They had been corresponding with Winn Parish people for the past year. It was on April 23, 1979 the ENTERPRISE received a letter from Ola asking for assistance. The letter stated, "For several years I have tried to find out what became of my grandfather, born in 1872, who emigrated to the U. S. in 1906 and then got lost. Earlier I had concentrated my search to Minnesota but have recently found out that he lived for several years in Winnfield, La., and he died there in 1943. "There must be people alive in your city who have known grandfather and I would like to get in touch with them..." Documents revealed that "Swede" made his last will and testament nine years before he died before former U. S. Congressman A. Leonard Allen with witnesses Claude R. Brock, Charles W. Cline, and E. Beverly Cudd. Names as Testamentary Executor was Charles Walters, Manager of the Carey Salt Company. Former Enterprise News Editor Art Taylor and Mrs. Margaret H. Simmons began corresponding with Ola, supplying him with names of former Carey Salt Co. employees who might have known "Swede". When the grandsons arrived in Winnfield last Tuesday, after stops in Dallas and Minnesota, they began contacting those they had corresponded with seeking more information on their grandfather. Friday, a special reception was held for the two at which time former acquaintances of the "Swede" met the grandchildren. A number of new leads were provided to help complete the years of Verner Lindbeck in the United States. "Swede" was born February 22, 1872 in Siknas, Nederkalis, of Sweden. He married on December 5, 1896 at the age of 24, Ida Maria Sikstrom. It was 10 years later he emigrated to the U. S. with hopes of making it rich and having his wife and six kids join him at a later date. He lived with his brother, Peter, and worked as a laborer on the Duluth, Missabe, and Northern Railroad. He wrote and sent money to his family from 1906 until 1908. It's believed he had written requesting his family join him, but his wife felt that it was too big a move with six children. Anyway, 1909 was the last time the family heard from him. The last sure indication for Ola that Verner Lindbeck was still alive dated back to April 1915 when he was working as a driller for Oliver Iron Company in the mining town of Hibbing, Minnesota. In the 1917 directory he was listed as drill runner, 6, Harley Location, Chisholm, Minnesota (Iron Range). That's where a gap occurred for Ola in his research. All ends went blank. There's a period of nine years between 1917 and 1928 that there is no information. However, the Winnfield visit may have helped to fill that voided period. In discussions with Winn residents, the grandsons were told Swede came to Winnfield at the invitation of Charlie Walters, the man who was to manage Carey Salt Company's operations from the construction stage on. It was told Walters had run into a problem with the drillings and told people there was only one man he knew that could solve the problem, if it could be solved. He then related of a man he had worked with in New York, when he had drilled a tunnel that runs under the Hudson River. That man was Verner Lindbeck. Walters began his search for Verner and in 1930 the Swede arrived in Winnfield. There was a period of either 1928 or 1930 that the Swede was in Minneapolis and was known there as the "Laplander". It's believed he was unemployed. Anyway, between 1930 and 1931 Verner moved South to Winnfield where he worked as a core driller for Carey Salt Company during the early construction phases of the plant. He was hired permanently as a mine worker when the plant opened for operation. The processing plant was five stories high and Swede later became operator and maintenance man for the boiler room and rotary kiln. Swede boarded at the Groves Hotel, a two story building on East Court Street, run by Mrs. Hattie Groves. He lived in Winnfield, until his death of a heart attack in 1943 when he was 71, in actual age. Ironically, about the same time he moved into Winnfield, he was declared legally by the district court in Kalix, Sweden. He was to be considered deceased, and December 31, 1931 was to be taken as the date of death, according to court records. It was believed he was one of the many Swedish emigrants who disappeared into the American Immigrant Jungle, and after twenty-five years, he was declared dead. In his last will and testament before A. Leonard Allen, "Swede" claimed he had "no living relatives in the world." His grandsons believe he stated so because he had been hurt when his family refused to join him. The research seeks to answer questions like this and many others for the family. It was reported his grandfather had remarried in American and that he had even made attempts to return to Sweden but was stopped in Normandy by American authorities. Ola, the son of Swede's second child and oldest son, and Ivar, the son of Swede's eldest child and only daughter, left Winnfield Monday. But not before Winnfield, Louisiana gave them a taste of Southern Hospitality. Even as they were leaving, plans for a future trip with their families were being discussed. It's remarkable that Ola, an electrical engineer and sales manager for a major appliance manufacturing firm in Umea, Sweden, has been able to devote himself to this search for six long years. Yet, a never-say-die attitude and numerous articles in Swedish journals and American newspapers have helped him reach his goal. Ola had been in the United States in 1948, not knowing his grandfather had died here just five years earlier. After staying until 1951, he returned home and later married. Ivar, making his first trip to the United States, has been deeply impressed. The Pitea, Sweden, native is a professor at a Swedish University of mathematics and physics. He has also authored or co-authored two books. On deals with customs and culture while the other is a political investigation into war camps. It started out as a "mission impossible"...but six years later, it's six years' of friends, memories, and knowledge of their grandfather, a man they never had the opportunity to see, but Winnfield people have painted an image in their minds they'll never forget. (Several photos accompany this story and the captions are printed below) Floral Memorial Ivar Sundstrom of Sweden, center, places a floral memorial at Verner Lindbeck's grave in Winnfield City Cemetery following a memorial service conducted by Church of Christ Minister Claude R. Brock, shown left, and with Ola Lindback, the other visiting Swedish grandson, shown right, looking on. Sundstrom and Lindback arrived in the United States June 1, 1980. After visiting Minnesota with persons who had helped Ola Lindback with his 6 year search for his "lost" grandfather and a stopover visit in Dallas, Texas, they arrived in Winnfield, Louisiana where an informal reception was organized by Mrs. Margaret H. Simmons for them to meet Winnfield area people who had known their grandfather, Verner "Swede" Lindbeck. Old Photo Found Verner "Swede" Lindbeck, shown in an old photograph presented Friday, June 13, 1930, to his grandsons from Sweden, Ola Lindbeck and Ivar Sundstrom, by Mrs. W. M. (Verna Lee) Labat, the daughter of the late Mike Shetley. The old picture was quite fortunately and most opportunely located by Mr. Shetley's widow, Mrs. Fannie Shetley, and genuinely appreciated by the Swedish visiting grandsons. (Note: "Lindbeck" is Americanized spelling of "Lindback") Honorary Citizens Swedish visitors were presented "Honorary Citizen of Winnfield" plaques by Mayor Kenneth W. "Jack" Henderson on Friday morning, June 13, 1980, at a gathering introducing them to former fellow workers and acquaintances of Verner "Swede" Lindbeck, their "lost" grandfather who died March 20, 1943 in Winnfield. Shown left to right are Ola Lindback of Umea, Sweden, Mayor Henderson, and Ivar Sundstrom, of Pieta, Sweden. Services Held The two visiting Swedish grandsons are shown above (far left) with a group of former fellow employees and friends of Verner "Swede" Lindbeck, at a memorial service held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14, 1980, at Winnfield City Cemetery where a special grave marker was unveiled. Approximately 20 people, four of whom attended "Swede's" funeral services conducted in 1943, were on hand Saturday morning for a commemorative tribute. "Swede's" grave is located just right of the main entrance to the cemetery on South Street beside the enclosing fence on the north side of the burial plot. Marker Placed A grave marker, made of fir wood from an old barn door at the boyhood home of Verner Lindbeck in Siknas, Nederkalis of Sweden designates the burial site of Llindbeck who was known as "Swede" in Winnfield. The marker was made by Ivar Sundstrom of Pitea, Sweden, one of "Swede's" two grandsons who visited Winnfield last week and held special graveside ceremonies for their "lost" grandfather that had died in Winnfield on March 20, 1943. It is shown above with the old printed Carey Salt Company salt sack used to veil the marker prior to the memorial service at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14, lying at the base of the cross. 'Swede' Lindbeck This picture shows Lindbeck when he first emigrated to the United States in 1906. A six year search begun by his grandson, Ola Lindbeck of Umea, Sweden, culminated in a visit to Winnfield June 10-16 by Lindbeck and another grandson, Ivar Sundstrom of Pitea, Sweden, when they erected a grave marker in the form of a fir wooden cross at their "lost" grandfather's grave in Winnfield City Cemetery.