Randall Eugene Lindstrom
| Randall ("Randy") Eugene Lindstrom | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 5, 1954 Lawrence, Kansas, USA |
| Residence | Beijing, China (2006–) |
| Spouse |
Jill Marie Linn (m. 1976–2002)[1] Marcia Laudick (m. c. 2004–c. 2005) Claudia Butz (m. 2008–) |
| Children |
James Brian Lindstrom Eric Jacob Lindstrom |
| Parents |
Dean Randall Lindstrom Peggy Lindstrom Janice Moda (Step-Mom) |
| Relatives |
William Darrel Lindstrom (brother) Shirley Jean Lindstrom (Sister) Cynthia Lee Lindstrom (Sister) Tonja Lindstrom (Sister) Callie Gronborg (Step-Sister) Rhonda Schroeder (Step-Sister) Mark Moda (Step-Brother) Tonja Koenigs (Half-Sister) |
Randy was born in Lawrence, Kansas, 1954, the eldest son of Peggy and Dean Lindstrom. Several years later, Peggy and Dean moved their children back to the family farm in Phelps County. Randy recalls helping his mother raising alligators in the family bathtub, Shetland ponies, and having numerous dogs and other animals. Randy attended grade school at Holdrege Public School R4.
Randy’s mother moved off the farm when Randy was still an adolescent. Thereafter, Randy helped his father raise the other three children. At this time, Dean was employed at a bank in Loomis, Nebraska.
Tragedy struck when the family residence was destroyed in a fire. Dean moved the family to another farmhouse across the street, and, with money donated from their church congregation, purchased an upright piano. Randy took piano lessons and remains an avid piano player today.
In 1970, Dean married Janice, a single mother of three. The combined family then moved to Shelby, Iowa, where Dean became President of the bank. Randy attended the Shelby High School, where he began dating Jill Linn. The couple jokes that they were induced to date because of alphabetical seating (“Linn” next to “Lindstrom”).
Randy and Jill attended the University of Iowa, where Randy was a disc jokey for the campus radio station and a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. In 1975, Randy graduated with a degree in accounting. During college, Randy worked for Deere & Company, which, on graduation, hired Randy as a full-time accountant in the Quad Cities. The couple lived in a small apartment in Davenport, Iowa, near Kimberly and Jersey Ridge Road. Jill and Randy married in August 1976.
In 1978, Randy was transferred to the Waterloo Engine Works, Waterloo, Iowa. Jill was an art teacher, until Jim was born in 1981. In 1984, Eric was born and the family moved back the Quad Cities, living in Bettendorf, Iowa. There, Randy raised his children to play piano and appreciate Hawkeye sports. The family owned a piano and attended numerous football and basketball games in nearby Iowa City.
In 1996, Randy received an M.B.A from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.
Randy and Jill separated in 2001, and Randy moved across the river to an apartment in Moline, Illinois and then to a home Silvis, Illinois, within sight of the Deere & Company headquarters.
While living in the Quad Cities, Randy was a regular competitor in the Bix 7, the Firecracker 10K, and other local runs. Randy also led his family in regular bicycle, canoeing, and camping trips. For years, the family took an annual spring break skiing trip to Colorado.
In 2007, Randy accepted a job transfer to Beijing, China, as Finance Director for the Deere’s Chinese operations. Randy lived near the corporate office in the Chaoyang District, North-Eastern Beijing, near the third ring road. After marrying Claudia Butz, a German National working for Deere & Company in the Quad Cities, Randy found himself studying Mandarin and German.