BJORNSEN, Andrew Josef "Swede" 1934-2003

BJORNSEN, PENN, NELSON, SCHOLTES, INGLE

Posted By: SGF
Date: 3/29/2003 at 18:46:39

Andrew Josef "Swede" Bjornsen, age 69 of Lansing, passed away Monday night, January 13, 2003. He had been battling heart troubles for the past 14 years. Burial was in Lansing Ridge Cemetery, west of Churchtown. At his request there was no funeral, just a quiet good-bye. Hanson Funeral Home in Waukon assisted with arrangements. Josef, also known as Joe, was the first of four children born to Andrew and Elisabeth (Penn) Bjornsen. His birth was celebrated January 26, 1934. Two years later, the family moved back to his father's hometown of Haugesund, Norway. Josef was raised and educated in Norway until the fall of 1948, when his family of six came back to America to finish living their lives.

Josef was a self-made man, starting a variety of businesses and enterprises. His basic principal was what he can do for his country, not what his country can do for him. He was the last of the door-to-door peddlers, not salesmen, as he would say. In 1952, Joe married Marilyn Nelson. Together they had three children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. After his divorce, he married Jamie Scholtes. As of his death, they were working on developing an organic apple orchard together, his last enterprise.

Joe is survived by his wife, Jamie; the mother of his children, Marilyn Bjornsen and her friend Duane Henry of Decorah; their children, Randy (Sandy) Bjornsen of Hillsboro, Wis., Diane Bjornsen of Mason City, and Sonya (Paul) Dolan of Minneapolis, Minn.; seven grandchildren; his only and favorite sister, Marie (Clint) Ingle of Elk Grove, Calif.; his brother Bjarne (Linda) Bjornsen of Gettysburg, Pa.; and several nieces, nephews, step-nieces, step-nephews, sisters- and brothers-in-law, and cousins of his entire family - especially his nephew, Ethan. He also bids good-bye to his friends and in-laws, Rod and Kay Olson, along with all his friends that he has met over the years.

Josef will now join his parents; a brother, Bjorne; a granddaughter, Jorie; and many family and friends that went before him. Pall bearers were his friends Jack Sweeney, Gary Jackson, Al Becker, Jim Sess, Carl Krobriger, and brother-in-law Larry Griffith.

©Waukon Standard 2003
-source Waukon Standard, January 22, 2003