Emil William Lindstrom

Emil Willjam Lindstrom
Born	April 8, 1884(1884-04-08) Phelps County, Nebraska
Died	November 24, 1960 (aged 76)
Resting place	Moses Hill Cemetery, Phelps County, Nebraska
Parents	Gustaf Lindstrom Johanna Christina Carlsdotter

Entry in Lindstrom Book

Roy Aldin Lindstrom typewrote the following:

Emil Wiljam Lindstrom the sixth son of Gustaf and Johanna was born in Phelps County, presumably the first one to be in the new Soddy.

...

Emil never married, he and his brother August were in partnership in the operation of the Old Homestead and were the last of the Lindstroms to live there.

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Emil and his younger brother August Edvall took over the farming of the Homestead after we moved to the Ranch, I will continue their story more or less together, Grandma and Emil still lived in the Old Soddy and when August got married to Anna Carlson, Nov. 12, 1912, they moved in to the frame house where we used to live. When Uncle Charlie built the new house where Aline Lindstrom now lives, the built on kitchen of the old house was moved to the Homestead and was placed a little West and North of the Square Frame House but still a little distance South of the Soddy and became Uncle Emil's home, Grandma, moved in with Uncle August and Aunt Anna, the Old Soddy had finally give up as a home, the West wall was removed and a double door was put in and it was used as a garage for some time.

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Quite by nature, he was very interested in the machine age, I think he had the first Threshing machine in the Lindstrom relation, I am not sure but I think the Steam Engine was an Advance return Flue and the Separator was a Buffalo Pitch, Emil nick named the Engine 'Alice,' I think it was his one and only Love because he never married.

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The large Steam Threshing rigs were soon on the way out, and were replaced with smaller machines, that were powered by farm tractors, some times two or three neighbors would buy one together, that way they had their own crew and would not have to wait until late in the fall for their turn.

But progress did not stop there, the next step was the self contained Combine, and with the development of the Corn head, nearly every Farmer has his own harvesting Machine.

The first Automobile that Emil and August had was a Reo Two Cylinder one seat, it was followed by a Two Cynlinder Maxwell, followed by a Four Cynlinder Whiting, after that I sort of last track.

Emil and August had built a machine shed a little North and West of the Old Soddy a frame building covered with sheet iron, with two large doors to the South, to keep the wood Threshing Machine in when it was not in use.

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I have mentioned before that there were lean years following World War 1 due to the Economy and Drought. Uncle Emil took a job with the County Road Dept., during the 30's and continued with that until his retirement.

Kenneth followed in his Uncle Emil's foot steps and never married, he took over Emil's county job when Emil retired and continued to work at that until he was forced to quit because of health reasons.

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I always enjoyed working for or with Uncle Emil, I remember one time I was, maybe 16 years old, Uncle Emil offered me a job to be "Water Monkey," the job entailed keeping his Steam Engine supplied with Water and Coal, I was in 'Seventh Heaven' partly because I was 'nuts' about Steam Engines and because I was going to be a part of the Threshing Crew, Dad said that I could take the Mules to pull the tank wagon.

Things went fine for a few days, then we had a few days of no wind, the stock tanks were nearly empty, I was barely man enough to lift water out of a Cistern and sometimes I would have only a half a tank when I would hear two short blasts from the whistle, which meant the Engine was getting low on water and I would have to roll up my hose, and drive as fast as the Mules would go to get there in time, and then there were the times when 'irate' farm wives run me off the place because they were not about to share their water with an old Steam Engine, anyway the job soon lost its glamour.

So, later when I started Grading Roads, I was only too glad to have Uncle Emil work for me, and when he worked for the County and had any problems, I was only too glad to help out.

Uncle Emil had a hobby that he really enjoyed and that was Fishing, he and Cousin Kenneth spent nearly every weekend at some Lake or Sand Pit during the Summer, he had several other 'fishing buddies' as well.

Uncle Emil spent his final years at Christian Homes a Senior Care Home, he died Nov. 24, 1960.

Photos

From Lindstrom Book: "While we lived in this Home the addition had been added to the East, so when we moved to the Ranch South of the Platte River, Uncle August and Grandma Johanna moved into it, then when August got married it became their Home. Grandma Johanna lived with them until she died Nov 6, 1916. This picture was taken in 1918, left-to-right, Alma Lindstrom, Emil Lindstrom, Elmer Lindstrom, Morris Lindstrom, Anna Lindstrom, Robert Lindstrom, Kenneth Lindstrom, Roy Lindstrom, and August Lindstrom.

From Lindstrom Book: "Emil Lindstrom threshing Barley for us with his Return Flue Steam Engine and Buffalo Pitch Separator."

From Lindstrom Book: "Emil Lindstrom's Two Cylinder REO, John E. Carlson at the steering wheel. Emil and Carl Olsen ready for a ride. When the Homestead was sold, the Barn in the background was torn down and some of the Lumber became part of the new Home that Larry Lindstrom built in the same Section."

Emil's WWI Draft Card (front)	Emil's WWI Draft Card (back)

Historical Records

• Emil registered for the WWI Draft on September 12, 1918.
• Emil (age 36) lives with his brother's family (August E Lindstrom, wife Anna Lindstrom and children Kenneth and Morris) in Center, Phelps, Nebraska in the 1920 Federal Census
• Emil (age 45) lives alone in Center, Phelps, Nebraska in the 1930 Federal Census