Carl Segar Lundgren
September 16, 1911 - January 1, 2007

Carl Segar Lundgren loved an adventure. He traveled to exotic parts of the world, sailed the Great Lakes, and enjoyed dog-sledding. But his greatest adventure began more than sixty years ago, when he first set eyes on his beloved wife Vivian. Nothing excited him more than all the tomorrows that they would spend together.

By the year 1911, the United States was one of the most advanced nations in the world. The invention of the automobile and the airplane revolutionized transportation. In Sparta, Michigan, Emil Lundgren and his wife Hilda eagerly awaited the birth of their third child. On September 16, 1911 they were blessed with the healthy birth of their son Carl.

The third of four children, Carl grew up with the company of his older sisters, Evelyn and Dorothy, and his younger brother, Jack. His mother was a homemaker, and his father was a tailor who worked in Grand Rapids. When Carl was just a few years old, his family relocated to Muskegon where his father had found a job at the "Square," a renowned men's clothing store in the downtown district.

Carl attended Muskegon High School. He was an excellent student, and he enjoyed playing trombone in the school band. After graduation he enrolled at Michigan State University, where he continued to play the trombone in the marching band. He lived in a basement room, and he paid for his rent and board by babysitting the owners' children. Whenever he had the chance, he hitchhiked to Muskegon to visit his family and friends. Carl graduated from Michigan State with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Carl was an extremely intelligent man, and he quickly made a name for himself as an engineer. In the summertime, throughout college, he worked at Shaw Walker in Muskegon. After graduation he was recruited by Sealed Power, where he worked for over thirty years. During this time he invented the Stainless Steel Piston Ring, which revolutionized the automobile industry. His invention greatly increased the life of the piston ring, creating new possibilities for the internal combustion engine. Several magazines and newspapers wrote articles on Carl, and his invention is still in use today.

Just after Carl graduated from Michigan State, his cousin Helen introduced him to an attractive young woman named Vivian Partridge, who was employed at Hardy Herpolsheimer's Department Store. Although Vivian was in a serious relationship, she agreed to meet Carl because they had many common interests. As she remembers, "I thought he was OK because he wanted to take me to the symphony." This date marked the beginning of a three year courtship. Carl and Vivian were married in March of 1943, marking the first chapter of a wonderful marriage that would last more than sixty years.

The newlyweds settled in Muskegon Heights, and for the next ten years they lived with an ailing aunt and uncle. In the 1950's they relocated to North Muskegon, where they spent the next twenty years. Carl and Vivian then moved to Roosevelt Park. They found a nice apartment in Tiffany Woods, where they happily lived for thirty years.

Carl and Vivian deeply loved each other, and they enjoyed all the time that they spent together. They shared a love for travel, and over the years they visited many unique places, including the Middle East and Europe. Vivian's uncle lived in Egypt, and they visited him several times. When Carl's job sent him to Stratford, Ontario, Vivian would accompany him so that they could go to the Shakespeare Theatre together.

Whether they were traveling the world or at home in Michigan, Carl and Vivian knew how to keep busy. They were always on the go. They enjoyed cross-country skiing, until an accident forced Carl to pick a new hobby. He had broken his leg in five different places. After he recovered, he and Vivian decided to take up dog sledding instead. They spent many weekends at the Jack and Jill Ranch (later renamed the Double J Resort), located north of Muskegon. Carl and Vivian owned a 37 foot cabin cruiser, and they traveled all over Lake Michigan, visiting countless islands and cities.

Carl was proud of his Swedish heritage, and he belonged to the Vasa Lounge. He owned a handmade Swedish sled, and he was known to push Vivian down the slopes of the Lake Michigan dunes. Carl and Vivian belonged to First Lutheran Church in Muskegon early in their marriage before becoming faithful members of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, where he played an active role in the congregation for over thirty-five years.

In the year 2000, Carl broke his hip. This injury slowed him down considerably, and he and Vivian relocated to an assisted living center that they grew to appreciate. As long as they were together, they were happy. Even after sixty years of marriage, Carl would say, "Our love affair wasn't really that long, it just seemed like it." This was a joke, of course. He was the happiest when he was with Vivian, and in her company a warm smile always brimmed over his lips.

Carl was a diabetic, and throughout his life he took great care to control his disease. At the time of his death he was the oldest, longest-living diabetic in the country.

On January 1, 2007, Carl died peacefully while holding the hands of the four ladies who loved him deeply, his wife Vivian, his special almost daughter Jeanine, and his good friends Dorothy Patterson and Carmean Vajd. He is also survived by his nephews, Bill Wikman, Dave Wikman, Tom Wikman and Bob Appel; Special Cousin, Jim (Doris) Ahlsted and his son Jim(Christine) Ahlstedt; Special Daughter, Jeanine (Greg) Taghon-Oleszczuk and their children Peter and Reva; Nieces and nephews Marie and Jim Broman, Brian Lundgren; Special Friend, Art Bunce. He was preceded in death by his sisters Evelyn Appel and Dorothy Wikman, and a brother Jack Lundgren. The service for Carl will be held on Wednesday 7-8 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. MEMORIAL: American Diabetes Foundation. Please visit Carl's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you may leave a memory or sign the online guest book.

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