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Mary Ines Holmquist Lindbeck Walker
May 1926 – Aug 2019
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Mary Ines Holmquist was born on May 16, 1926 in Amsterdam, Idaho to Albert and Bessie Holmquist. Ines, as she preferred to be called, had two sisters Grace Rexin and Agnes Harkness; five half-brothers and sister, Thomas Holmquist, Erma Underwood, Ray Holmquist, Glen Holmquist and Emmett Holmquist.  Ines is preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, son-in-law Gene Cole, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Ines leaves her children, Peter Steven Lindbeck (Marjorie, children Peter Matthew and John); Linda Louise Hagstrom (Lloyd, children Kellie, Larry, and Kara); Sheryl Ann Whisenhunt (Doyle, children from a previous marriage, Michael Blagg and Sheri Blagg); Pamela Marie Cole (children David and Katelan); great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and Chuck’s family.

Ines has shared several stories of her life over the years.  She attended school where there had to be at least eight children in attendance to even have a school, but her family moved and the school was two students short, so the remaining six had to be bused to a neighboring town 20 miles away.

The house her family lived in was really a run-down place—no paint on the house, no running water, no septic tank (outhouse was available), no electricity, heat came from the “pot-belly” stove, and they had to travel twenty-five miles to the nearest town to buy groceries or clothing.  The outhouse was behind the main living house, sitting over a hole dug in the ground, so the house was moved when needed.  Yes, the Sears Roebuck catalog was substituted for toilet paper, which was all right until you came to a very slick page.  In the winter it was mighty cold, mighty dark, and mighty scary. Of course, the chickens always had to roost in the outhouse.  So she didn’t use it, instead she used the “thunder-mug”—a big kettle with a lid.

During the Great Depression the family lost their farm in Idaho and moved to Hughson, California. Ines graduated from Hughson High School in 1942 and later went to Sacramento Junior College.  Upon returning home to Hughson, with her father Albert she attended a Gratton Grange meeting, a place and time for local farmers to gather.  There Ines met Peter Magnus Lindbeck and they married September 19, 1945. Pete owned a farm in Denair and over the years they raised dairy cattle, grew peaches, walnuts, grapes, almonds, and alfalfa for the cattle. Living in Denair, she discovered you couldn’t talk about anyone because in some way or another they were related.

Their four children grew up on that farm in Denair.  Mom sewed almost all the girls’ dresses, and Peter Steven wore flour sack shirts.  She also loved to knit. During the summer, we canned and canned and canned lots of fruit numbering 300 quarts each year. As the children got older and were able to help out, Mom went to work for Denair Post Office and then Turlock Post Office during the rural delivery route. 

Pete and Ines first attended the Denair Missionary Church where Mom was church pianist, then attended the Evangelical Free Church where they were both active in Sunday school, Mom serving as Sunday school secretary.  Mom’s faith in God and her church were a very important part of her life.

After Pete passed away in April 1974 and Ines remarried Einar Anton Lindbeck, she went to work for Nordic Saw and Tool enjoying her years there. Several years after Ines divorced and Einar passed away, Ines met Charles “Chuck” Walker while walking into an evening service at Evangelical Free Church. Chuck’s first wife Bertha had passed away from cancer. On December 31, 1988, Ines and Chuck were married and Chuck brought four more adult children into their marriage:  Sharon Ilene King (Ben, children Ben and Brad); Cynthia Jo Oie (children Kristin Tate, Dan Oie, and Dustin Oie); Kenneth Walker, and Louis Robert Walker.  Also came six more great-grandchildren.

While at the Free Church they joined the RV group known as the Free Loaders. The group did a lot of traveling and while Ines enjoyed the fellowship, she couldn’t understand why, if she was on vacation, did she still have to cook, wash dishes, and make the bed.  However, that group ate really well, never complaining that there wasn’t enough food.

Ines and Chuck lived on East Main St. in Turlock until the house and yard felt like it was getting bigger. They sold the house and moved to Samaritan Village in Hughson, California. They were involved in several aspects of the Village, their favorite being the chapel and becoming good friends with many of the residents. Ines coordinated her Hughson High School reunions using the facilities available at Samaritan.

As caring for them became more involved requiring extra care, an opportunity to move to Turlock Covenant Village opened up.  Ines and Chuck discovered that there were many friends that also lived at Covenant Village. It was here that several months later Mom developed two aneurisms, beginning a month-long journey at San Francisco.  Twice we were told she wouldn’t make it through the night, but God had other plans for her.  She returned to Covenant Village and the Care Center where she remained.  Chuck eventually joined her there and Ines heard him several times say that “this is my wife and I love her”.  Chuck went to be with his Lord on February 4, 2019.

Mom, we are going to miss you and those expressive eyes.

Viewing will be held at Allen Mortuary on Monday, August 19, 2019 from 5:00-7:00p.m. Memorial service will be at Covenant Village- Berg Hall on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at 10:00a.m. with burial to follow at Lakewood Memorial Park.  Please share your memories at www.AllenMortuary.com.Mary Ines Holmquist was born on May 16, 1926 in Amsterdam, Idaho to Albert and Bessie Holmquist. Ines, as she preferred to be called, had two sisters Grace Rexin and Agnes Harkness; five half-brothers and sister, Thomas Holmquist, Erma Underwood, Ray Holmquist, Glen Holmquist and Emmett Holmquist.  Ines is preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, son-in-law Gene Cole, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Ines leaves her children, Peter Steven Lindbeck (Marjorie, children Peter Matthew and John); Linda Louise Hagstrom (Lloyd, children Kellie, Larry, and Kara); Sheryl Ann Whisenhunt (Doyle, children from a previous marriage, Michael Blagg and Sheri Blagg); Pamela Marie Cole (children David and Katelan); great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and Chuck’s family.

Ines has shared several stories of her life over the years.  She attended school where there had to be at least eight children in attendance to even have a school, but her family moved and the school was two students short, so the remaining six had to be bused to a neighboring town 20 miles away.

The house her family lived in was really a run-down place—no paint on the house, no running water, no septic tank (outhouse was available), no electricity, heat came from the “pot-belly” stove, and they had to travel twenty-five miles to the nearest town to buy groceries or clothing.  The outhouse was behind the main living house, sitting over a hole dug in the ground, so the house was moved when needed.  Yes, the Sears Roebuck catalog was substituted for toilet paper, which was all right until you came to a very slick page.  In the winter it was mighty cold, mighty dark, and mighty scary. Of course, the chickens always had to roost in the outhouse.  So she didn’t use it, instead she used the “thunder-mug”—a big kettle with a lid.

During the Great Depression the family lost their farm in Idaho and moved to Hughson, California. Ines graduated from Hughson High School in 1942 and later went to Sacramento Junior College.  Upon returning home to Hughson, with her father Albert she attended a Gratton Grange meeting, a place and time for local farmers to gather.  There Ines met Peter Magnus Lindbeck and they married September 19, 1945. Pete owned a farm in Denair and over the years they raised dairy cattle, grew peaches, walnuts, grapes, almonds, and alfalfa for the cattle. Living in Denair, she discovered you couldn’t talk about anyone because in some way or another they were related.

Their four children grew up on that farm in Denair.  Mom sewed almost all the girls’ dresses, and Peter Steven wore flour sack shirts.  She also loved to knit. During the summer, we canned and canned and canned lots of fruit numbering 300 quarts each year. As the children got older and were able to help out, Mom went to work for Denair Post Office and then Turlock Post Office during the rural delivery route. 

Pete and Ines first attended the Denair Missionary Church where Mom was church pianist, then attended the Evangelical Free Church where they were both active in Sunday school, Mom serving as Sunday school secretary.  Mom’s faith in God and her church were a very important part of her life.

After Pete passed away in April 1974 and Ines remarried Einar Anton Lindbeck, she went to work for Nordic Saw and Tool enjoying her years there. Several years after Ines divorced and Einar passed away, Ines met Charles “Chuck” Walker while walking into an evening service at Evangelical Free Church. Chuck’s first wife Bertha had passed away from cancer. On December 31, 1988, Ines and Chuck were married and Chuck brought four more adult children into their marriage:  Sharon Ilene King (Ben, children Ben and Brad); Cynthia Jo Oie (children Kristin Tate, Dan Oie, and Dustin Oie); Kenneth Walker, and Louis Robert Walker.  Also came six more great-grandchildren.

While at the Free Church they joined the RV group known as the Free Loaders. The group did a lot of traveling and while Ines enjoyed the fellowship, she couldn’t understand why, if she was on vacation, did she still have to cook, wash dishes, and make the bed.  However, that group ate really well, never complaining that there wasn’t enough food.

Ines and Chuck lived on East Main St. in Turlock until the house and yard felt like it was getting bigger. They sold the house and moved to Samaritan Village in Hughson, California. They were involved in several aspects of the Village, their favorite being the chapel and becoming good friends with many of the residents. Ines coordinated her Hughson High School reunions using the facilities available at Samaritan.

As caring for them became more involved requiring extra care, an opportunity to move to Turlock Covenant Village opened up.  Ines and Chuck discovered that there were many friends that also lived at Covenant Village. It was here that several months later Mom developed two aneurisms, beginning a month-long journey at San Francisco.  Twice we were told she wouldn’t make it through the night, but God had other plans for her.  She returned to Covenant Village and the Care Center where she remained.  Chuck eventually joined her there and Ines heard him several times say that “this is my wife and I love her”.  Chuck went to be with his Lord on February 4, 2019.

Mom, we are going to miss you and those expressive eyes.

Viewing will be held at Allen Mortuary on Monday, August 19, 2019 from 5:00-7:00p.m. Memorial service will be at Covenant Village- Berg Hall on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at 10:00a.m. with burial to follow at Lakewood Memorial Park.  Please share your memories at www.AllenMortuary.com.