Carmen Lindgren

Carmen H. Lindgren, 82, of Spicer, died Tuesday morning, August 21, at the Lakeview Ranch in Darwin following a long decline due to Alzheimer's.
Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 1, at First Lutheran Church of Norway Lake. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Funeral arrangements are with the Peterson Brothers Green Lake Funeral Home in Spicer (www.petersonbrothers.com). Memorials are preferred to Ecumen Hospice in Litchfield or the Alzheimer's Association.
Carmen was born November 28, 1929, in Arctander Township, Kandiyohi County; the seventh son of Lewis and Alma (Hagen) Lindgren. He was baptized and confirmed at Monson Lake Lutheran church. He grew up as a member of a family of 10 boys and 2 girls on his parents' Arctander farm.
Carmen owned and operated Lindgren Dairy Products, a door-to-door milk delivery business in Clara City, Maynard, Raymond, and Prinsburg from 1959 to 1976. He started his work life at the age of 14 when he went to work full-time on his Aunt Alice (Lindgren) Johnson's farm north of Kerkhoven. In the company of various brothers and cousins, he followed job opportunities from South Dakota to Illinois. He returned to Willmar where he tried his hand at farming, car mechanic, and furniture repair man.
On October 7, 1950 he married Mildred Skindelien, the daughter of Clarence S. and Birdie (Dengerud) Skindelien, also of Arctander Township. They made their home in Willmar where Carmen worked for Central Dairy. The family moved to Clara City in 1959 when he opened Lindgren Dairy. Millie and Carmen had five children who all survive him: Pat, Bonnie, Vickie (Tim) Thissen, David (Darleen), and Doug Lindgren.
Along with his brothers Warren, Sherman, and Donny, he raced stock cars at the Atwater Speedway. His daughters remember car trips in the country with Dad that rivaled most carnival rides. He also enjoyed playing poker (especially with his brothers), hunting at his family shack near Walker, Minnesota, and entertaining at back-yard barbeques and snowmobile soup runs.
After he retired in 1976, Carmen built his dream home on Twin Lake near Spicer by hand. His family remembers him as a work hard, play hard man with an impressive tool collection in his man-cave/shop at Twin Lake. He was also famous for his mystery meat soups.
In addition to his five children, Carmen is survived by nine grandchildren (Brent (fiance Autumn) Lindgren and Grant (Latisha) Hudson; Ryan (Jessica), Chris (Heather), Shawn (fiancé Kristina) and Taylor Thissen; and Tanya (fiancé Ryan), Laura, and Krista Lindgren), eleven great-grandchildren, and brothers Warren, Gene, and Jimmy, and sister Joyce Marie Monson.
He was preceded in death by Millie, his wife of 52 years, a granddaughter Calla Lindgren, brothers Virgil, Jerry, Archie, Sherman, Don and Chuck; and his sister Virginia Nelson.