Name:
Justin = Upright & Just
Lucas = Bringer of             
...........light or knowledge.......
Backstrom = by the stream
13 Apr 1988 - 10 Oct 2004

His great-great grandpa Justin was also born on the 13th of April; we didn’t know this when we named our son Justin. The first Justin Backstrom came to America from Sweden around 1888.

Life verse: James 1: 19-22
“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Food:
Anything he made

Best Friend: Danny

Life’s ambition was to be a chef.

Charles & Justin

International Music Camp 2004

Charles thought his big brother should stay home with him.

Justin & gadgets

He loved computers and anything electronic.

Justin Lucas

Justin’s last standardized test
He missed 1 problem in Mathematics.
As a home school student with T.E.A.C.H. he was required to test every other year, but we had him test every year.

Arriving 2 weeks early, on a Wednesday night, I guess he was in a hurry to live as much of life as he could.

Challenged by asthma, he had 3 nearly fatal asthma attacks. Each time he spent a week in the hospital, Mom was right there sleeping on one of those lovely hospital cots, at least I could be near by baby.

Justin loved to cook, create new recipes, and carve fruit masterpieces. He even had a chance to work with a real chef at Concordia Language Village’s Skogfjorden (Norwegian camp) when he was a credit student. They were getting ready for a visit from the Norwegian Ambassador to the US, Knute Vollebæk.

Very bright, on his last standardized test they said he was working below his potential in mathematics. He missed one problem. 
He would have needed to score 100% to be working to his potential.

After attending International Music Camp, he came home and informed us that he wanted to play the bass saxophone. We convinced him to start with a tenor saxophone.

After reading a story about Teddy Roosevelt and how his father encouraged him to play trumpet to improve his lung strength, I thought that might be a good idea. That’s when and why I encouraged Justin to take up the clarinet, which he did play for awhile until he decided he wanted to play saxophone.
I miss hearing him play his saxophone.

        Killed by a drunk driver.

His body was so badly damaged that he needed to be buried in a special bodysuit.

To Be Continued..........