Gale Lindstrom
On August 25th, after a long, creative, and productive life, Gale (Gaell) William Lindstrom slipped the bonds of mortality to join those who had gone before.
Gaell was born to William Lindstrom and Bertha Thorup in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 4, 1919. He graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s in art and earned his M.F.A. degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts. He was a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served a mission to the Eastern United States.
He began his teaching career in Cedar City in 1953, first at the high school and then at the College of Southern Utah. He joined the faculty of Utah State University in 1957 where he taught ceramics, art history, painting, and drawing.
In addition to painting exhibits in Utah, California, Minnesota, and Hong Kong, he received awards for his watercolors from the American Watercolor Society, Watercolor U.S.A., Utah State Fairs, and the Utah State Institute of Fine Art Shows. His work is found in many private and public collections.
In addition to painting, his lifelong interest in photography produced a show entitled “People and Places.” Filming in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, he also produced the film, “Ernesto Mateo, Potter of San Bartolo de Coyotepec”, which was shown on PBS.
In 2003 he was one of four Utah artists honored at The Lieutenant Governor’s Annual Invitational Art Exhibition. He was selected and recognized for his artistic talent and contributions to the community, as well as being a mentor in supporting other artists and art teachers throughout Utah.
Gaell was a kind, gracious, and unassuming man. He was blessed with a photographic memory and an immense curiosity manifested in his interest in everyone and everything. “Sameness is dullness” is a maxim he espoused. When asked about his love of painting, he responded, “It is difficult to say why I enjoy painting and drawing so much. Perhaps it is because I enjoy the visual imagery of the world and its people. Sometimes I think about what I see, but mostly the pleasure I feel comes from a different realm. I have come to recognize that I am more and more sensitive to what I see and it all seems to become more beautiful than ever . . . . I prefer not to talk about painting, but would rather simply share a visual experience. Sharing, not with words necessarily, but simply by being in the presence of someone seemingly having the same experience.”
Gaell is survived by his wife Marilyn (Ronnow); daughters, Leslie Jensen (Layton, Utah), and Lori Miller (Fort Collins, Colorado); sons, Braden Lindstrom (Kauai, Hawaii) and Christian Lindstrom (Chesapeake Beach, Maryland); 12 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Graveside service will be held Saturday, August 29th, at 2pm at the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in Salt Lake City, Utah. Arrangements are being handled by Metcalf Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the St. George Art Museum.
He has some great photos on Flickr, including many high-quality old photos of great genealogical significance to this site. There are also many books he wrote or was mentioned in, including a genealogy book. Here’s some mosaic work he apparently did. Finally, here’s his Find A Grave memorial.
1903-1979, buried in Columbus, Ohio. Married to Gilda (1915-1997). I’m pretty sure he was a brother of Feliciano (who immigrated from Italy) and was a part of this family:
