Obituary - Harland "Lindy" Wickstrom

BROOKINGS, S.D. - Harland "Lindy" Wickstrom of Brookings, age 90, passed away Wednesday, November 7, 2018, at Covington Care Center in Sioux Falls.

Memorial services will be 1:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, at First Presbyterian Church in Brookings. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Eidsness Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements.  

Lindy was born on June 22, 1928, to Harry and Maud (Beckstrom) Wickstrom in Craig, Nebraska. He was the youngest of six children. Lindy graduated from high school in Oakland, NE, and then joined the U.S Marines in 1946. Because of the wartime drawdown of forces, Lindy was honorably discharged early in 1947. 

After Lindy's discharge, he returned to Oakland, NE, and began working for Northern Natural Gas as a laborer and apprentice welder. During this time, Lindy met and married Millie Miller of Uehling, NE. Together, they had three children: Jan Marie, Jeff, and Harry. 

In 1951, the couple moved to Paullina, IA, where Lindy was the district welder for Northern Natural. Over the next 15 years, Lindy worked as a welder and eventually as a welding inspector on numerous pipeline projects across the country. He worked on projects in Hobbes, NM, Rice Lake, WI, Buffalo, MN, and Ironwood, MI. Ultimately, the family would always return to Paullina. 

In 1967, Lindy was promoted to District Manager in Willmar, MN. In 1973, Lindy was again promoted to a larger district in South Sioux City, NE. After moving back to Nebraska, Millie began a long battle with cancer and passed away in May of 1977. 

Lindy accepted another promotion in 1978, as district manager in Havre, MT. During this time, Lindy met and married Alvera Philippi. They were married on October 17, 1980. They moved to Brookings, S.D., where Lindy was the District Manager for Northern Natural Gas. He retired in 1983, and then began a 20-plus year career with freelance work as a chief inspector. He worked in the fields of welding, testing, and installation of natural gas pipelines, CO2 lines, fiber optic lines, and PVC Lines. During this time, Lindy worked and the couple lived, all over the country including Texas, California, North Dakota, Wyoming, New York, Florida, Minnesota, Iowa and even Taranto, Italy. 

Survivors include his wife, Alvera; son, Jeff (Sandra) Wickstrom and their family, Kelly (Randy) Zultowsky, Ryan Wickstrom (wife, Jenny and granddaughter, Annali), Megan Will (husband, Carter and grandsons, Jeffry and Nash); son, Harry Wickstrom and his family, Jeremiah (Kasey) Wickstrom and Will (wife, Jennifer and granddaughter, Sophie); step children, Cynthia Tibbetts (husband, John Fraser, granddaughter, Edelene (Creig) Ohman, and great-grandchildren, Wesley and Davis), John Tibbetts (wife, Kristine Christensen and grandsons, Kevin and Eric) and Debra Thompson (husband, James and granddaughter, Rosalind (Jay) Chetodal and great-grandchildren, Georgia Renee and Josiah).

Lindy was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Millie; daughter, Dr. Jan Wickstrom; step son Charlie Tibbetts; and his five siblings.