Rinell Family

1. John Egron Rinell (May 11, 1934 - ) married Joan Margaret Lindstrom (May 13, 1935 - January 5, 2020). John was born in China. Joan was born of Swedish parents in Chicago, USA.

John left Göteborg, Sweden on the ship Gripsholm on November 21, 1952 and arriving in New York, USA on December. His stated destination was Bethel College on Snelling and Arlington Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota.

John's first cousin Doris (Rinell) Holmquist had emigrated to the U.S. from Sweden arriving in the U.S. on 20 December 1948.

John became an American citizen in the U.S. District Court of Los Angeles, California on June 26, 1959 (Naturalization Index Card).

Eventually, John and Doris were both living in California with their families and for some years living about an hour drive from each other in southern California, the great Los Angeles area. The two families often spent together time together, perhaps several times a year for dinner, holidays or now and then a picnic in a park.

Holidays, such as Christmas Eve and Easter followed Swedish tradition with Swedish foods and on Christmas Eve, Swedish ornaments, candlestick holders, table cloths, small paper Swedish flags draped around the tree, and one of the daughters dressing as Lucia, candles in a wreath in her hair, carrying a tray of Swedish pastry and coffee, walking into the living room bringing in the Christmas season. Doris and Joan sang 'Santa Lucia' in Swedish as Santa Lucia entered the living room, often with the other kids, dressed in robes of white like Lucia. Though growing up in the U.S. the Rinell and Holmquist kids were to a degree, culturally Swedish and American. First generation children are often culturally mixed.

Languages at these family get-togethers was mixed among the adults. Besides English, John, Joan and Doris spoke Swedish. Since John and Doris were born and raised in China, they often spoke Chinese (mandarin) to each other, especially when and idea or emotion could be better expressed in Chinese. John and Doris did not teach their kids Chinese or Swedish. However, some of the kids did pick up a few words or expressions in Swedish. When Doris was angry at one of her kids she swore usually in a light-hearted way, in Swedish. Lennart learned a few words and phrases in Chinese, but very little.

If the families went out to a restaurant for dinner, the restaurant was always Chinese. Doris or John ordered the food in Chinese, much to the surprise of the Chinese restaurant owners or staff if the families had not eaten in that restaurant before.

Doris kids, Lennart and Meilynn were the oldest of the kids of the two families. They were followed by Doris kids, Carey and Carolynn. John and Joan's, kids were Steve, Ron, and Pam.

Eventually the Holmquist family moved further up the California coast to Ventura. The Rinell family moved to San Luis Obispo. The distances were further apart though the families still got together for special occasions.

Joan passed away from a stroke in San Luis Obispo, California in 2020. Her obituary reads in part:

Joan was a partner in her husband's photo studio in Sherman Oaks, Calif. for ten years and later in his photo processing lab in San Luis [Obispo, California] until 2003. Her hobbies were singing, traveling the world and spending time with her grandchildren. She is survived by John Rinell, her loving husband of 65 years, sons Steve (Christine) and Ronald, grandchildren, Ellen, Douglas Eric, Camille, Rhys, brother Ronold (Julieanne), nieces Tammi (Fred), Joni (Scott) and extended families in Colorado and Sweden. She was predeceased by her daughter, Pamela Margaret and parents John Edwin and Elsa Lindstrom. There will be a private family celebration of her life.

Published in San Luis Obispo County Tribune on Jan. 12, 2020

For more about John and his family in China see:

Foreign Devils: a Swedish Family in China 1894 to 1951

1.1 Steven John Rinell (July 16, 1957 - ) married Christine Jeana Magnuson (January 13, 1962 - ).

1.1.1 Ellen Margaret Rinell (March 30, 1989 - ).

1.1.2 Doug Egron Rinell (May 11, 1991 -)

1.1.3 Erik Steven Rinell (March 18 1998 - ).

1.2 Ronald Egron Rinell (September 24, 1959 - ).

1.2.1 Camille Rose Zuliani (March 27, 1996 - )

1.3 Pamela Margaret Rinell (April 30, 1963 - June, ? 1978 ). Pammy was in a car accident when she was only fifteen years old. From her cousin, Lennart Holmquist remembers of what he was told, she was driving in a car with a young friend of hers. Her friend, the driver, had been drinking. Rounding a curve in the road too fast, she rolled the car into a tree. The driver survived. Pam survived for a while, but died in the hospital from internal injuries.

Her cousin Len was traveling in Sweden at the time. He found out about the tragic accident from his grandfather, Oscar Rinell and Oscar's brother Egron.

Pam is buried at Los Osos Valley Memorial Park, San Luis Obispo, California.

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