Gustav Almquist

    Gust Almquist was born in Hjalmserud, Sweden on April 4, 1899.  He moved to the United States in 1922 and to Portland in 1936.  He worked at a furniture company for more than 20 years.  Gust married Linnea in 1929 and they had two daughters; Marianne Goddard and Bonnie Almquist.  Bonnie was an Almquist at the time her Dad died.  Her married name now is Henard.  There were 6 grandchildren at the time of his death but he would have had a total of 11.

The following account submitted by Marianne Goddard.

    Linnea and Gust (Mom and Dad) met when they both lived in Chicago, even though both were born in the Province of Smaland in Southern Sweden.  Mom came to the Lord through the influence of two friends she worked with in a hospital as a practical nurse.  They all lived in the hospital and worked twelve hour days, six days a week.  She went to a Baptist church with friends and that is where she came to know the Lord as Savior.  Most of her family looked down on her for leaving the State Church but before she died, her mother also became a Christian.  Mom immigrated here in the 1920's to join her sister.
    Dad also came in to the United Stated in the 1920's.  He got permission to leave the Swedish Army for a "better life in North America".  Dad's brother was living in Indiana.  Most folks had some one to come to while they learned the language and got a job.  Dad found the Lord through the Swedish Salvation Army.  He had a car but no girl friend.  Mom's girl friend had a boy friend with no car.  He knew Dad and they decided on a double date--the rest is history.  They were married on November 15, 1929 in Chicago.  Rev. Victor Larson performed the ceremony.
    In late 1936, the depression was coming to an end, but Mom was suffering from the windy, cold dampness of Chicago.  Dad's sister encouraged him to come to Portland where the economy was picking up.  They had saved enough money through the depression years to buy a house which they did at 5254 NE 22nd where I grew up.  Temple became their home church immediately.  Dad served as a Trustee for a long time and then as a Deacon for at least 16 years with a year out as the constitution states.  During the 2nd World War, he worked in the shipyards on Swan Island as a "rigger."  I have a bracelet and two big kitchen knives he made from stainless steel leftover from the ships.  Towards the end of the war he worked nights at the shipyards and then got a part-time day job at Alberta Furniture.  He must have slept the rest of the time except for church and his victory garden on the empty lot across the street from our house.  He also enjoyed going to Lake Retreat on work crews with folks from Temple.  
    Mom enjoyed helping with dinners and going visiting as a Deaconess.  They often took elderly widows for Sunday afternoon drives up the Columbia River Gorge with a thermos of coffee and some cookies.
    Dad died on their way home from church on an icy night January 13, 1963.  I'll never forget what Ray Lott said after Dad's funeral service.  "I never heard anything bad said about Gust Almquist.  He was a gentle giant." 

Mrs. Winn (Marianne) Goddard

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