Grace Lindquist

Grace Elaine Andersen was born to Harvey and Verta (Thompson) Andersen of Little Falls, MN on April 2, 1937. Grace had one sibling, a brother Arnold. They grew up on a farm near Elmdale, MN, and attended country school through 7th grade. In the winter, her father broke a trail through the snow so Grace could ski to school. As a child she attended Bible Camp at Cedar Lake. Her father also gave her a ride to church for weekly confirmation classes held year round for confirmation instruction and he hauled her bicycle so that she could ride it home after confirmation class, a distance of 7 miles. Grace was confirmed at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Upsala, MN. The Christian faith as clearly taught stayed with her throughout her life. Many years later Grace served children as a camp counselor at Bible Camp and as a Sunday School teacher. Her faith was important to her.

She graduated from Upsala High School and found employment in Minneapolis where, through a mutual friend, she met a young man from Newfolden Minnesota. Grace married Lester Lindquist on July 28, 1956. They lived in Little Falls, in the state of Washington and in Warren, MN, before settling in Newfolden where they spent most of their years and raised their two children, Pam and Scott.

Grace appreciated good poetry, reading good books, and listening to good music that spoke to her heart and soul. She particularly like Longfellow’s Hiawatha and a poem memorized in elementary school, The Duel, by Eugene Field. Grace enjoyed listening to pipe organ music and loved choir music, especially the works of F.M. Christianson, including his arrangement of Beautiful Savior. At Christmas she tuned in to King’s College for A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols as broadcast from Cambridge, England, and more recently discovered the music of Voice of Eden, a men’s group from India, as they sang their beautiful rendition of Just As I Am. Grace also loved the music of the Westaker Men’s Group from Westaker Free Lutheran Church in Newfolden where Lester and Grace held membership and faithfully worshiped.

She was impressed with the cross at the Cross River on the North Shore near Schroeder, and the story of Father Baraga, a priest, who in 1830 came to the North Shore to minister to the native Americans during an epidemic in an Ojibway village. He and a native guide attempted a 40-mile shortcut across Lake Superior from Madeline Island to the North Shore, nearly perishing in a violent storm that erupted during their passage. After much prayer they arrived at the mouth of the Cross River and with gratitude to God erected a wooden cross. Lester and Grace visited the cross monument on the shores of Lake Superior many times, where for 14 years they found solitude and rest at a peaceful cabin nestled in the woods on Croftville Road.

The scripture in I Chronicles 29:11 and 13 has been meaningful to Grace. “Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.” And “ Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.”

To God be the glory Great things He has done
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life-gate that all may go in,

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood
To every believer the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our worship, when Jesus we see.

Grace was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Arnold.

She is survived by her husband, her two children and their spouses, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Grace is thankful to her daughter Pam and husband Keith Abrahamson for the support and care given to her in her latter years. She is grateful to God for His mercy and His grace which have sustained her. She found her Ebenezer in Jesus Christ, the rock of her salvation. Just as God gave victory to the Israelites over their oppressors and they raised a monument stating, “Thus far He has helped me”, Grace knew that God had also helped her.

Grace passed away on February 20, 2022, at the age of 84 years.

Private graveside services will be held at Elmdale Danish Lutheran Cemetery with Pastor Phil Rokke officiating.