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By MaryHelen Swanson
 In the schools, she encourages Americanism through essay and poster contests. But if you really want to know what Americanism is all about, then you should meet the North Branch Lions choice of Community Service Award winner this year.
Phyllis Lindberg felt the honor of Community Service Award recipient should be shared with her deceased husband, Carl, and she didn’t let the moment pass at the Lions’ dinner last week to make that known. At home, she shared her story and a photo of Carl with the Post Review.
Phyllis Lindberg is Americanism. She encourages it, she embodies it, she lives it.
It’s growing up in small town USA, serving your neighbors in your hometown, keeping the community going while wars and disturbances take people away.
It’s raising a family of law abiding, educated children, pulling weeds in a garden on a small farm in rural Minnesota, visiting old friends in the nursing home and taking care of the education of special needs children.
And all of that is what Phyllis Lindberg is about.
She was born in May 1920, and has lived in North Branch most of her 87 years. When she wasn’t here, she was attending St. Cloud State Teachers College and teaching in Victoria in Carver County. And for brief periods, she worked in the Cities.
Phyllis married Carl Lindberg when he returned from serving in World War II and they purchased and ran the Standard Station in North Branch for 14 years. But Carl had a dream to be a farmer, and when the opportunity arose, the Lindbergs set out to make that dream a reality.
“It was a good life on the farm,” Lindberg said. She particularly loved the garden - “to sit down in the dirt and pull the weeds,” she said.
“I sure miss that guy,” she said of Carl, fondly gazing across the room at his picture, “ I really miss his smile.”
Carl passed away a few years ago.
The Lindbergs had five children, and a small farm was a good place to be living as they grew up.
But when the youngest entered kindergarten and the oldest was a senior in high school, Phyllis accepted a job in the North Branch schools teaching special education.
 Going back to work also prompted her to go back to school so it was back to St. Cloud again where she attained a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Her family cooperated greatly during this time, she said.
Community Service Award recipient Phyllis Lindberg poses with her award, presented by Lion President David Danielson (right), along with award nominator Lion Don Hartzell, center.
Phyllis mused last week that it was quite unusual to get degrees from the same school with three different names: St. Cloud State Teachers College, St. Cloud State College (in 1968) and St. Cloud University (in 1970).
In the early 1950s, Lindberg was active in the PTA, as many mothers were, but she also led a group of mothers who started a kindergarten that set the ball rolling for the school district to begin full time kindergarten.
Involvement in education has always been important.
In his nomination letter, Lion Don Hartzell also noted that in 1990, when North Branch became a Star City, Phyllis led a group heading up an all-school reunion and that moved into a long-time commitment to the North Branch School Alumni Association. She herself is a 1938 graduate of North Branch High School.
The association plans and hold reunions which include talent shows that raise money for scholarships for local graduates.
As she talks about all of her service and community work, Phyllis finds it rather interesting to note that she was so shy in high school.
The natural inclination for education? Perhaps that was nurtured as she played school as a child.
Other community involvement included volunteering at Green Acres Country Care Center. “Both Carl and I did it,” she said. One of the special things she did was take over the leadership of a group of volunteers who would shampoo and set the hair, free of charge, for GACCC residents. And she helped organize the GACCC auxiliary.
As a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, she has been involved in Sunday school and many other activities. Last year, she had an important hand in the celebration of the church’s 120th anniversary.
After the Lindbergs married, Phyllis became a charter member of the local VFW Auxiliary and has served three terms as president. In the 50s, the VFW organized the Kiddie Parade during Midsummer Days and Phyllis chaired the event for many years. The theme of the parade is patriotic and the little ones come dressed in all manner of red, white and blue.
Patriotism is the theme that prevails in the essays and drawings in the school contests sponsored by the VFW. Phyllis faithfully organizes and documents the presentations of awards at the schools for these contests. She actively encourages students to think on freedom and patriotism by participating in these annual contests, so they will be proud to be American.
She is also a 60-year member of the North Branch American Legion Auxiliary.
Phyllis would not accept the award without acknowledging the support of her husband, Carl. “If he were here, he would be deserving it,” she said.
And it wasn’t without his mention that she accepted the Lion’s award last Tuesday night.
Because Phyllis (and her five sisters) never learned to drive, (it wasn’t the thing to do back then) Carl drove her wherever she needed to go.
As she nears 90, Phyllis intends to keep busy.
“It’s a healthy thing to do,” she said. “There’s got to be something for me to do.”
She truly believes her life has been blessed, even longevity.
There have been some small regrets, she’ll admit, but she wouldn’t change her life.
“I feel very humble getting this award, it was a good life.”
And that included moving off the farm and coming back to town when the time was right.
“It just all falls in place,” she said of life.
As she told Hartzell, “I get up in the morning, I figure there must be a purpose for me still being here. We are all here for a purpose. If we belong to a community, we should be part of it.”
Considering all the things she has done, she added, “I didn’t do any of this to get recognized.”
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