Mrs. Helga Swenson (1823-1908)

SWENSON, OLSON, ANDERSON

Posted By: Alan Nicholson
Date: 4/22/2010 at 21:34:46

Roland Record
3 December 1908

Octogenarians Laid to Rest

Mrs. Helga Swenson, Aged 85, and Mr. John Nelson, Aged 80 Pass Away on Same Morning

Mrs. Helga Swenson

Mrs. Helga Swenson was born in Norway, Europe in the spring of 1823 and died Wednesday November 25, 1908, being past 85 years of age, death coming like sleep to a tired child. In 1842, she was married to Gudmund Swenson, to which union eleven children were born, five of whom are still living. They are, Swen of Chicago, Ill., Lewis, of Wisconsin, Gunder, of Alaska, Ben, of this place, and Mrs. Carl Olson, of Los Angeles, Cali.

In 1856, they moved to Bristol Station, Ill., where they had to live in a barn until they could get a house built, as residences were at that time very scarce. In 1876, her husband died and four years later she came to Iowa, where she lived with her son, Ben at whose home she died, and daughter Mrs. Carl Olson. About ten weeks ago, she fell down in the garden and hurt her thigh and since that time she was mostly confined to her bed until death came to relieve her.

The funeral was held from Salem church last Friday afternoon, Rev. J. N. Sandven officiating, after which interment took place in the Roland cemetery. The only one of her children able to be present at the funeral was her son Ben, at whose home she had lived for a number of years. A brother, Albert Anderson, of Ceylon, Minn., was in attendance at the funeral.

The bereaved ones have the sympathy of a host of friends during the hour of their sorrow.

Roland Record
17 December 1908

Card of Thanks

We thank sincerely our friends and relatives who so kindly rendered their services during the sickness and death of our beloved mother and grandmother.

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Olson
Miss Abbie Olson