Obituary

ELGIN - Robert Eugene Linstrom, age 93, of Elgin, Illinois, passed away after a brief illness on Friday, July 30, 2021. He was home and surrounded by his family as he completed this life's journey. He is survived by four sons, Robert (Rebecca) Linstrom of South Haven, Michigan, Timothy (Maria) Linstrom of Mundelein, Illinois, David (Heather) Linstrom of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and Stephen Linstrom of Elgin, Illinois; eight grandchildren, Phelipe (Easton), John (Monique), Benjamin, Julia (Matthew), Samuel, Victoria (Andrew), William (Janay), and James; four great-grandchildren, Phelipe, Anya, Adrienne, and Oliver; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Ethel Linstrom; all seven of his siblings and their spouses; and his beloved wife of 55 years, Marcene Juliet (Larson) Linstrom. Born and raised in Hershey, Lincoln County, Nebraska, and a veteran of the Army Air Corps as World War II ended, he graduated from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas and Augustana Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois. He had served as an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its predecessor bodies for 66 years at the time of his death. Pastor Linstrom served congregations in Proctor, MN, Gary, IN, Richmond, IN, Elgin, IL, Crystal Lake, IL, Morris, IL, Rockford, IL and Cary, IL. He served as the Secretary of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod for 17 years, and Dean of the Fox Valley District of the Illinois Synod for ten years. He was awarded a Doctor of Divinity-Honoris Causa by Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio in 1977. Serving in community, Pastor Linstrom was a member of Kiwanis International from 1974 to the present, he served on United Way Campaign Cabinets in Richmond, IN and Elgin, IL, as President of the Clergy Association of Greater Elgin, as an elected Board Member of the of the Gail Borden Public Library and as an appointed member of the Gail Borden Public Library Foundation. He was the President of the Board of Directors, Sherman West Court Care Center from 1992-2007 and was named a Life Trustee by Sherman Health Systems in 2008. The celebration of life for Pastor Linstrom will be on Saturday, August 7, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, IL, where he was a member, with visitation beginning at 9 a.m., the funeral service at 10:30 a.m. and a light luncheon to follow. Laird Funeral Home of Elgin, IL is providing support to the Linstrom family. The family encourages memorial contributions be made to Bethany Lutheran Church, 76 West Crystal Lake Avenue, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. For information, call 847-741-8800