Ernst Johan Linden

Ernst was born in Finland and lived his early years on a farm in Mona Finland. He was the oldest of 7 siblings, brothers Gilbert (deceased), Obert (deceased) and Bengt. Sisters Anita (deceased), Lise, Margit and Britta. Ernst was a World War 2 veteran, in 1940 at the age of 18 he was drafted in to the Finish army and fought the Russian army on the border of Finland in what was called the winter wars and continuation wars. After the war he spent some time working in forestry camps in Sweden.

In 1952 he followed a young lady Birgit Renvall, whom he had been seeing in Finland, out to Canada. In 1953 they married and settled in New Westminster. Ernst worked in a lumber mill, Fraser Mills for the next 38 years providing for his wife and their 3 sons Steve, Dennis, and Ron. He was a Christian and an active member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Westminster where he served as an elder, sang in the choir and soloed many times. He loved spending time with his family in the outdoors, fishing, pick nicking and camping. When Ernst retired in 1990 they bought a cabin at Shuswap Lake where he and Birgit spent the next 10 summers enjoying walking, cycling, family get togethers and the beauty of the area. In 1992 Birgit and Ernst decided to sell their house in New Westminster and move to a townhouse in Walnut Grove where they spent the next 18 years together and many happy times with their children and their wives – Diane, Jane, Imelda and their grandchildren Chris, Melissa, Jenny, Tyler and Kayla.

In 2011 due to declining health, Ernst moved in to residential care at Langley Memorial Hospital where he spent the next 5 years. In 2014 Birgit also moved in to the same residential care unit where they spent the next 1-1/2 years together until Birgit passed away in Nov. 2015. They were married for 61 years.

Arrangements under the direction of Henderson's Langley Funeral Home, Langley, BC.