John August Lindahl

JOHN AUGUST LINDAHL. One of the families that came as pioneers to Dickinson County in 1870 were the Lindahls. The head of the family, the late August Swenson Lindahl, was a very poor man, having barely enough to bring his family across the ocean and reach this situation almost on the frontier of civilization in Kansas. Like other early settlers he took up a tract of Government land, locating in Center Township, and 2 1/2 miles northeast of the present Town of Enterprise in Dickinson County. There he began the hard work to which he had become accustomed in his native land, and by strenuous efforts he managed to bring a livelihood to his household of growing children and was getting to a point where he could look into the future without dread and see a reasonable provision for himself and his family. Then, on April 9, 1883, he died. At the time of his death his oldest child and son, John August Lindahl, was only fifteen years old. This son was equal to the responsibilities suddenly thrown upon his youthful shoulders. He took his father's place in the home, in the fields, in the management of the farm, and worked early and late for many years, until his brothers and sisters were able to do for themselves, and while later years have never brought him great wealth they have brought him a comfortable competence and what is more valuable still the satisfaction of having performed his duty to those nearest him, and having played an honorable and straightforward part in life.

John August Lindahl was born June 5, 1867, at Hvetlanda, Sweden. His father was born in that country in 1859, and had served in the Swedish army before coming to America in 1870. The father was an active member of the Swedish Lutheran Church. In Sweden in 1865 he had married Maria Sandquist, who was born in Sweden June 25, 1838, a daughter of J. P. Sandquist. Her father came to America in 1885, and died at Enterprise, Kansas, in 1892. August S. Lindahl and wife had six children, four sons and two daughters, namely: John August; Amel C., who was born in Sweden June 3, 1870, and is now a farmer in Dickinson County, Kansas; William P., born October 5, 1872, in Kansas, and died August 26, 1906; Anna L., born November 15, 1874, the wife of Albert Cooper, a railroad man living at Kansas City, Missouri; Adolph G., born February 9, 1877, a farmer and now treasurer of Center Township in Dickinson County; and Hulda, born October 2, 1879, the wife of Albert Bockstrom, a farmer in Dickinson County.

After his many years of effort in behalf of his mother and brothers and sisters, John A. Lindahl in 1911 had reached the point where he was able to buy a farm of his own, and he still owns that place, which is well improved and highly valuable, situated 2 1/2 miles east of Enterprise. Mr. Lindahl has always taken an active part in public affairs. For eight years he served as trustee of Center Township. Politically he is a democrat. In 1912 he was his party nominee for membership on the board of county commissioners, being defeated by only a narrow margin. For twenty-five years he was a member of the school board of his home district No. 15. On January 20, 1914 Mr. Lindahl was appointed by President Wilson as postmaster of Enterprise, and he is now giving his time and attention to the competent administration of that office. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church.

On May 17, 1911, he married Miss Matilda Johnson, who was born in Sweden March 28, 1882. Her parents never came to America, and Mrs. Lindahl made the journey alone in 1904. They have three children, two sons and one daughter: Ethel Maria, born April 11, 1912; Melvin August, born July 26, 1914; and Harold Woodrow, born March 17, 1915.

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