Swenson, Margaret 1920-2003

SWENSON, BERG

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 10/20/2008 at 19:31:50

Margaret Swenson

LE MARS, Iowa -- Margaret Swenson, 82, of Le Mars passed away Friday, March 7, 2003, at Plymouth Manor Care Center in Le Mars.

Services will be 7 p.m. Friday at Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars, with the Rev. Jean Morse of St. John's Lutheran Church in Le Mars officiating. Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Saturday in Jasper City Cemetery, Jasper, Minn. Visitation will be 9 a.m. until service time Friday, with the family present at 4 p.m., at the funeral home.

Margaret Lucille Berg was born Aug. 1, 1920, in Sioux City, the daughter of Earl and Mabel (Johansen) Berg. She graduated from East High School in 1938 and from Morningside College in 1942. She later received her master's degree from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

On June 8, 1945, she and Martin Swenson were united in marriage in Jasper. The couple made their home in Jasper and later in Rock Rapids, Iowa, and Le Mars.

She taught school for more than 20 years. She taught English and vocal music in Elkhart, Iowa, Jasper, Trent, S.D., high school vocal music in Rock Rapids, and elementary music in Le Mars. She also worked at the Westmar College library for a number of years before retiring in 1985. She moved to Plymouth Manor Care Center on July 25, 2000.

She was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, where she was in the bell choir. She also was a member of Order of the Eastern Star, where she was a former Worthy Matron, AAUW, served as a former board member of the Plymouth County Museum, Lifeskills Training Center volunteer, and in her later years, a volunteer for Hospice of Siouxland. She also enjoyed the symphony concerts in Sioux City and Omaha and the Le Mars Community music programs that she continued to attend following her retirement.

Margaret will be lovingly remembered by a daughter and her husband, Carolyn and Tom Vance of Le Mars; three grandchildren, Aaron Vance and his wife, Carrie of Des Moines, Jennifer Vance of Morristown, N.J., and Megan Vance of Ames, Iowa; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Martin on Sept. 24, 1973; an infant brother, Earl Jr.; and a sister, Lois Ralston.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal; part of the Darrell E. Obituary Collection