Charles Lindbergh ”Lucky Lindy”
The journey to the USA began with Grandfather Member of Parliament Ola Månsson (1808 - 1893) in Gårdslösa, Smedstorp, Kristianstad County, Sweden, who had a wife and 10 children. During his travels as a Member of Parliament to Stockholm, he met the 29 years younger seamstress Lovisa Carlén (1837 - 1921), who resided on Skinnarviksberget in Stockholm.
On January 20, 1859, the illegitimate son Karl August was born. The couple decided quite soon to emigrate to the USA when Karl August was 6 months old. This was not looked upon kindly in Gårdslösa, and Ola was talked about negatively for many years after this event. How could he leave his wife and 10 children?
In Minnesota, USA, Ola changed his name to August Lindbergh, Lovisa to Louise Lindbergh, and their son was given the name Charles August Lindberg (1859 - 1924).
Charles August became a lawyer and congressman. In 1901, he married Evangeline (1876 - 1954), and on February 4, 1902, Charles Augustus Lindbergh (1902 - 1974) was born and grew up in Little Falls, Minnesota.
Charles Lindbergh became a mail pilot for the U.S. Postal Service and was very skilled. He was called "The Flying Fool" in the American aviation world. On May 21, 1927, he took his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, and accomplished the first solo nonstop flight in a single-engine aircraft across the Atlantic. It took just over 33 hours, and after this achievement, Lindbergh was regarded as a legend, earning the nickname Lucky Lindy.
On May 27, 1929, he married Anne Morrow, the daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. The couple visited Sweden and Gårdslösa, the place where the grandfather had left abruptly in 1859. Charles felt a bit uneasy, unsure of how he would be received. But everything went well, and they gathered many people who wanted to see the world-famous hero.
On March 1, 1932, their firstborn son, the almost two-year-old Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr., was tragically kidnapped and murdered, leading to the largest manhunt in U.S. history. Eventually, German-born carpenter Bruno Hauptmann was arrested, convicted despite his denial, and executed in the electric chair.
Charles Augustus Lindbergh passed away at the age of 72 on August 26, 1974, in Maui, Hawaii.
Charles Lindbergh
Lucky Lindy
Grandfather Ola Månsson
Father Charles August
Lucky Lindy in front of the Spirit of St Louis
