Lind Cane & Ring Tradition

The cane and the ring were presented to Svante and Anna Kajsa on the occasion of their fiftieth wedding anniversary, March 24, 1906, as gifts from their children. The following is a portion of Pastor M. Th. Andren’s remarks to the anniversary couple, the portion in which he speaks of the cane and ring.

As time takes its toll you will more and more have to rely on others for support and comfort. That is the way of life. The cane that I am about to present to you father Lind, is a token of your families’ love and devotion, as well as a token of the trust you can safely put in your Savior. It is of Him the Psalmist speaks: “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Traditionally, gold is the substance we associate with the fiftieth anniversary of an occasion. Gold is the symbol of faith. As the ore must be processed and refined before pure gold emerges, so faith by tribulation must be tried that it may be found “unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” I Peter 1:6-7. Accept this cane as a gift from your children. It typifies faith, trust, something on which to lean. With the years you may find it necessary to lean on this cane, so lean also and rest on Jesus. And mother Lind I have here a band ring to present to you, also a gift from the children. It, too, is gold. And the remarks I made as to the gold in the cane apply equally to the gold of this ring. The ring stands for perfection, completeness. The ring, too, is the seal of the Holy Spirit. So, may our Lord seal you, dear parents, unto the day of redemption. The time of redemption approaches.

The cane and ring were in Svante’s and Anna Kajsa’s possession until their respective deaths at which time the heirlooms were passed down to the oldest son or daughter—the cane to Johannes Lind in 1906 and the ring to Anna Lovisa Lind Gustafson in 1918. The following information, taken and combined from writings submitted by Leonard Lind and Vernie Lind Oleson, describes the tradition that was established.

Upon the death of one, (the cane or ring) is to be passed on to the next oldest (male with the name of Lind or female) descendant stemming from the (son to son or daughter to daughter) relationship. This established tradition was stated/recorded by Emil Lind, Thure Lind and Augusta Lind (Gustafson) and confirmed by many others. Record is also to be found in the minutes of the 1956 Lind Reunion held in Funk, Nebraska when the original intent of the donors was reaffirmed and it was unanimously agreed and voted by all present to ever abide by this established tradition.

At the 2013 Lind Family Reunion in Estes Park Colorado, an effort was made to bring this tradition back into the general awareness of the larger Lind Family. While the original, stated intent was for each one holding the respective heirloom to hold it until his/her death, it seemed desirable to the 2013 reunion attendees to give more individuals the opportunity to be in possession of the cane or the ring. Therefore, the group voted to amend the tradition to state that each one will hold the heirloom for a maximum of two years before passing it along to the next in line and the recipients shall be at least 30 years of age. Should the next in line not have reached the age of 30, the heirloom shall go back to the person at the top of the list of living descendants and the sequence will be repeated.

The attached list of descendants has been re-keyed and updated from a list compiled in 2000. That list was created on a family-tree software program that we no longer use nor have access to. Some dates and calculations have been corrected but inconsistencies in the spelling of a few names remain.

The cane and ring have been cherished and protected for over 100 years. We hope that several descendants will have the opportunity to hold one of these heirlooms at some time in their lives or, at the very least, will enjoy knowing about this tradition within the larger Svante and Anna Kajsa Lind Family.

Holders of the Cane & Length of Time Held by Each

Name (Generation) | Date they Received / Relinquished Cane | Time Held

Svante Lind (Gen 1) | 4/24/1906 - 6/6/1906 (at death) | 2M, 13D

Johannes Lind (Gen 2) | 6/6/1906 - 2/15/1908 (at death) | 1Y, 8M, 9D

Thure Lind (Gen 2) | 2/15/1908 - 6/29/1926 (at death) | 18Y, 4M, 14D

Emil Lind (Gen 2) | 6/29/1926 - 5/14/1951 (at death) | 24Y, 10M, 15D

Victor Johannes Lind (Gen 3) | 5/14/1951 - 9/25/1954 (at death) | 3Y, 4M, 11D

Photo: Vernie Lind Oleson, daughter of Emil Lind, presenting the cane to Victor Lind

David Paul Lind (Gen 3) | 9/25/1954 - 9/2/1968 (at death) | 13Y, 11M, 7D

Leonard Cornelius Lind | 9/2/1968 - 9/24/1978 (at death) | 11Y, 22D

Elmer Emanuel Lind (Gen 3) | 9/24/1978 - 8/22/1993 (at death) | 14Y, 10M, 28D

Carl Virgil Lind (Gen 3) | 8/22/1993 - 8/12/1995 | 1Y, 11M, 21D

Photo: Carl, Roxie, Janet & Julie Lind

John David Lind (Gen 4) | 8/12/1995 - 8/1/2015 | 19Y, 11M, 20D

First relinquishing of the cane after the Lind Family vote to pass the heirlooms along every two years

Robert Gordon Lind (Gen 4) | 8/1/2015 - 7/29/2017| 1Y, 11M, 29D

Photo: Robert Lind & Jane Behrhorst

James Douglas Lind | 7/29/2017 - 7/27/2019 | 1Y, 11M, 29D

Steven Ray Lind-Olson (Gen 5) | 7/27/2019 - 7/24/2021 | 1Y, 11M, 28D

Steven, Doug, and Kevin Lind-Olson are sons of Raymond Lind who was killed in 1958. Their mother married Merle Olson who adopted them.

Photo: Jim Lind passing cane to Steve Lind-Olson

Carl Joseph Lind-Olson (Gen 5) | 7/24/2021 - 8/29/2023 | 2Y, 1M, 5D

Photo: Mark Lind, on behalf of his brother Carl Lind, receiving the cane from Steve Lind-Olson

Doug Alan Lind Olson (Gen 5) | 8/29/2023 - October 24, 2025 | 2Y, 1M, 25D

Photo: Doug Lind-Olson receives the cane from Carl Lind by way of Carl's brother, Mark Lind.

Steven, Doug, and Kevin Lind-Olson are sons of Raymond Lind who was killed in 1958. Their mother married Merle Olson who adopted them.

Mark Andrew Lind (Gen 5) 10/24/2025 -

Potential Future 5th Generation Holders

Kevin Mark Lind Olson (Gen 5)

Stephen John Lind (Gen 5)

Erik Christian Lind (Gen 5)

Ross Andrew Lind (Gen 5)

Holders of the Ring & Length of Time Held by Each

Name (Generation) | Date they Received / Relinquished Ring | Time Held

Anna Kajsa Lind (Gen 1) | 3/24/1906 - 3/3/1918 (at death) | 11Y, 11M, 7D

Anna Lovisa Lind Gustafson (Gen 3) | 3/3/1918 - 6/25/1935 (at death) | 17Y, 3M, 22D

Ida Caroline Lind Lund (Gen 2) | 6/25/1935 - 8/26/1956 | 21Y, 2M, 1D

Augusta Amalia Lind Gustafson (Gen 2) | 8/26/1956 - 8/21/1960 |3Y, 11M, 26D

Amy Pauline Hult Palmquist (Gen 3) | 8/21/1960 - 8/15/1971 | 10Y, 4M, 25D

Photo: Back Row: Gertrude, Carl & Ida Lund with Amy & John Palmquist, Front Row: Unknown

Hanna Duzenia Gustafson Sjogren (Gen 3) |8/15/1971 - 6/24/1990 (at death) | 18Y, 10M, 9D

Linnea Genevieve Gustafson Engberg | 8/11/1990 - 8/12/1992 | 2Y, 1D

Photo: Linnea Engberg receives the ring from Delores Swanson on beahlf of her mother, Duzenia Sjogren..

Gertrude Ida Lund Johnson (Gen 3) |8/9/1992 - 10/23/2002 (at death) | 10Y, 2M, 14D

Photo: Gertrude Johnson receives the ring from Linnea Engberg.

Deloris Pauline Palmquiest Bjorkman Olson (Gen 4) |
Declined to hold the ring.

Marie Joan Norberg Bergstrom (Gen 4) | 8/2/2003 - 7/31/2010 | 6Y, 11M, 28D

Gap between previous holder's death and when the ring was passed to the next recipient at the following reunion. Marie Joan Norberg Bergstrom is the custodian of the ring for Deloris Olson who declined to hold the ring.