July 6, 1937 – March 1, 2022

It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our beloved Dad, Husband, Papa, Brother, and Uncle, Ronald Jack Lindgren. Those left to cherish his memory are his dear wife Margit of 61 years, their two children Cory Lindgren (Julie) and Tannis Lodge (Greg), grandchildren Tyson, Raquel, Wyatt, Ryley, Hannah, Ethan; two beautiful sisters Enid Marek (Rick) and Rosalie Donner (Eddie), niece Lori (Grant) and nephews Lorne and Trevor (Lois) of Rocky Mountain House Alberta; along with great nieces, nephews, cousins, many friends, and a special friend Lloyd Lofstrom.

Ron passed away peacefully in the Pinawa Hospital March 1, 2022 at the age of 84. Our family is grateful to the staff and the two angels at the Pinawa Hospital who sat with Ron keeping him comfortable in his last few quiet moments. Special thanks to the staff at the Lac du Bonnet Personal Care Home for keeping Ron safe and providing excellent care while he was there.

Ron had a good and full life. He was born in Winnipeg July 6, 1937. His parents John and Edith (Peterson) Lindgren who immigrated to Canada from Jarvso, Sweden and settled in the Riverland area. Dad grew up on a chicken farm and went to Riverland School. Ron and Margit started off as good friends but ended up falling in love while both attending technical school in Winnipeg. They were married on July 23, 1960, mixing a Swede with a Finn, had 2 children and 6 grandchildren whom Ron cherished and were his pride and joy.

Ron was a hard-working, successful electrician, working in the United States where he spent time working and living in Milwaukee with his family. They moved back to Lac du Bonnet where he found work with Arnold Urban Electric. From there, Ron moved his family to Pointe du Bois where he continued his work as an electrician with Winnipeg Hydro. Ron spent many hours working in the power plants at Pointe du Bois and Slave Falls (taking the train down the tracks and back from the South Station or the Tramway). Ron was also a tradesman who would set off to fix or build really anything. Dad retired at age 60 from Hydro in 1997.

After retirement, Dad and Mom moved back into Dad’s family home in Riverland, near Lac du Bonnet. In 2017, they left their home in Riverland and moved into Park Manor in Lac du Bonnet. Shortly after, Dad moved to the Lac du Bonnet Personal Care Home where he was content and well cared for.

They were fortunate enough to travel and enjoy life after retirement with many trips to Yuma Arizona during the winter months, a very special family trip to Cozumel Mexico in 2016 with the entire family and attending his sister Enid’s 80th birthday party in Rocky Mountain House.

From an early age Dad’s passion was his music. He was well known for his accordion playing. He could play any polka with the best of them! He was a mentor to many. Dad told stories of how he would take the train to Winnipeg and walk down Portage Avenue by himself to take accordion lessons as a teenager, then take the train back home to Riverland. He played in many well- known local bands including the famous Playin Truth, LSD 5 (Lindgren-Straus-Dewalt and recorded a hit CD!), as well as being recruited to play in a rather large Scandinavian accordion band in the winters while in Yuma. Dad must have played in every bar, legion, and social hall in eastern Manitoba and at countless socials and weddings, even the Personal Care Home. He has found a new place to continue to play his accordion!

Dad enjoyed dancing (old time waltzes, polkas, bird dances!), making pancakes, making potato sausage, smoking goldeye and sturgeon (when it was allowed that is!), eating pickled herring, Swedish meatballs, making home made wine and beer, camping in their RV with friends, curling (many family bonspiels in the old Pointe curling rink), fishing, wiener roasts, watching the Jets and Bomber games, watching his grandchildren play sports, ice fishing in his ice shack with Bentii, drinking scotch and enjoying saunas (not necessarily in that order!), not to mention he built his own sauna! Dad took great pride in being able to sit on the top bench of his Sauna where it was too hot for most, and then jumping out into the snow or cutting a hole in the ice and taking a dip and following this up with a shot of scotch! Then, when you thought you were safe, he would take out the Finnish “vihta”.

Dad spent many hours in his work shed making wood crafts, signs, furniture and Christmas presents for his family where at one point he unexpectedly nicked off a part of one finger (luckily found and reattached slightly bent!).

“Ron, your love made me happy. Your love gives me comfort and strength to get through my days and to know you’re in a better place. You were a good husband and a good father. There are way too many memories to mention. I will treasure all our memories and love Forever my Dear.”

“Dad, you had an inner calm and easiness about you, always patient, never complaining. You made anything we wanted – always with a big red bow on it. You fixed anything we needed fixing. You gave us our space to grow. You always said yes to babysitting, family parties, and happy hours. You taught us to Polka, sing Christmas carols and how to keep the spirit of Santa Claus alive. We will miss everything about you, our visits, your jokes, your witty humour and that Smile.”

“May you continue to enjoy your scotch, herring, smoked goldeye and playing the beer barrel polka in your next life where I am sure there is lively polka music and dancing! And I hope the well-known polka is not true “In heaven there is no beer”, but then I think you will start making your home-made beer (or wine)!”

“Papa, there was nothing more important to you than your grandkids. Every day we spent with you was filled with love, adventure and occasionally a side job here or there which we always looked forward to because he never forgot to reward you (and himself) with an ice cream or pop or maybe a beer when we were a “little” older.” Tyson

“Papa, you truly were one of my favorite people in this world and I will never forget the special bond we always shared. I will miss our Saturday morning visits, your sense of humour, your smile and your chuckle after you told one of your jokes. Thank you for all the memories over the years such as having sleepovers at yours and granny’s house, playing cards, the smell of crepes cooking in the morning and CJOB on the radio, playing the accordion every Christmas while all of us grandkids sang, how you always called me Flicka or Rocky for nicknames and more. You had a great, full life and were loved by so many. I love you. XOXO.” Raquel

“Papa, I will always remember the “BIG Bubble” Bubble Baths, running around the house in the snow after a sauna (naked), teaching me how to drive, and weiner roasts.” Wyatt

“Papa, you were such a kind, sweet, and goofy soul. We will cherish the memories we have with you forever. We will never forget singing Christmas carols at the top of our lungs to the sound of your accordion waiting for Santa to arrive; you asking us to smuggle O’Henry bars into the hospital for you even though you weren’t supposed to have them; your goofy smile and your quirky jokes. We will always cherish the time spent with you in Riverland, teaching us how to find worms for fishing, bait a hook and taking us on fishing trips; how to properly do a Swedish sauna, even in the winter and rolling in the snow; and always making us massive piles of leaves at Thanksgiving that we could jump in. You were so proud of every one of us grandkids and we are all equally as proud to have had you as our Papa. We Love you.” Hannah, Ryley and Ethan

“This kind of Love has no end. Your beautiful spirit will live on, we will hold on tight and not let go.”

The Family would like to thank everyone for the cards, phone calls, flowers, wishes, hugs, kisses, and visits. Dad loves you back.

A cremation has taken place. A celebration of Dad’s life will be held in Riverland later in the summer.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Personal Care Home in Lac du Bonnet or the Local Area Food Bank.

www.soberingfuneralchapel.com

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