Albert D. Linden

1923 - 2017

Albert D. Linden

The Seattle neighborhood of Fremont lost one of its pioneers on Labor Day, September 4, 2017. Albert D. Linden passed on that day, overlooking the ship canal, in his own bed with his family by his side.

Al was born to Swedish immigrants on June 22, 1923, and raised in Seattle's Fremont community where he essentially lived his entire life. Al attended BF Day Elementary, Hamilton Junior high, and Broadway High School.

Many would ask "how old are you Al?", and his standard reply was "I'm not telling...", but as a WW2 vet it wasn't hard to figure out how old Al was, and for the record he was 94 when he died.

Al grew up helping his father at the family hardware store in Fremont, became a house boy for the Cecil Bacon family and enlisted in the Army on Sept 16th 1940 at the age of 17. Al was a member of the 41st Division 116th Medics and was on the first voyage of the Queen Elizabeth as a troop ship, carrying him and his fellow soldiers from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia. As a WW2 medic in the South Pacific, he was in the "first wave" of many landings in the Philippines and New Guinea and earned the Bronze Star during his service. Al kept in contact with many Army buddies over the years, and went to all the reunions to share old times.

In the mid 50's Al learned the Swedish language and it was on a trip to Sweden to visit his relatives back in his mother's home town he picked up a fetching Swedish girl who was hitchhiking with a girlfriend. In that short car trip to the small town where Ingegerd lived, they both realized that their families knew each other's and they later married in 1956, with Al bringing his new bride to the USA to make their home and life together in Fremont.

Al and Ingegerd had a son in 1957 (Eric) and he started a business importing cars from Europe and then coupled it together with a Travel business which lasted well into the early 1980's. Rarely missing a home Husky football game, he would tote his son Eric along with him, making them both true Husky fans to the core.

The late 60's was a time of change in the Fremont community and in 1969 the Fremont Improvement Committee (FIC) was formed with Al being elected its first president. This committee and a couple of other groups help start the Fremont Fair of which Al was the first treasurer. Al remained involved in Fremont community organizations for several decades, giving his input into community affairs. He even picked the shade of orange that they painted the Fremont Bridge which he also adorned on the trim of his building in Fremont.

In his later years Al could be found in his office going through his mail and making sure his building was in good shape, and after that he would find his way out for coffee, occasionally with his son Eric, a few newspapers and would attempt to solve the world's problems (or at least Fremont's).

Al's family meant the world to him. He is preceded in death by his wife, Ingegerd, married 52 years, as well as his brother Karl and Karl's wife Trenna. He is survived by his son Eric (wife Tammy) and 2 grandsons Andrew and Nikolas. Al also leaves behind Ingegerd's brother and sister-in-law in Sweden, Lasse and Kerstin Holmstrom, as well as many nephews and nieces; Jarker, Eva, Torbjorn and Kenneth Holmstrom in Sweden, and in the USA there is Grant, Christina, Susan and Dwight Linden. It should also be mentioned that Al leaves behind a community of friends in Fremont, both young and old, as they often visited over coffee in his favorite coffee shop ETG.

In Alberts first Bible, given to him by the pastor of the Fremont Baptist church as a child, there is an inscription that there is hope that Al would be a good "soldier" for Christ. Al was indeed a good soldier for Christ, also for his family, his country, his community and his friends. Rest in Peace old soldier.

Service on Saturday October 7th at Fremont Baptist Church at 1:30. Memorial at Al's building at 3502 Fremont Ave. N. from 2:30 to 6pm same day.

Come and have a cup of coffee and pastry and remember Al with us.

Memorial donations may be made to the Fremont Baptist Church where Al was baptized.

Sign Al's on line

Guest Book at www.Legacy.com