Elsie L. "Jo" (Hughes) Swanson (1920-2016)

SWANSON, HUGHES, LINK, MCKINNEY, PINNELL

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 9/3/2016 at 20:57:12

Obituary published in the Des Moines Register, Polk County, Iowa, August 18, 2016.

Elsie L. Swanson, 96, formerly of Ames, IA, died Friday, August 12, 2016, in her home at Shorewood Senior Campus, Rochester, MN. Jo, as she preferred to be called, was surrounded by her family when she passed away after a brief illness. Jo wished for her body to be donated to Mayo Clinic for medical education and research. Memorial services will be planned for a later date.

Jo Swanson was born April 7, 1920, near Long Pine, Nebraska to Walter and Lydia (Link) Hughes and grew up on a cattle ranch with her six siblings in the Sandhills of north central Nebraska. She put herself through college and worked as a teacher. She graduated from the University of Nebraska as a speech pathologist and audiologist. Jo married Harold A. Swanson on February 25, 1953, and they moved to Ames, IA, where Harold worked for the Iowa Department of Transportation as a Design Engineer. Jo worked in speech therapy for the local school system until she decided she could help a greater variety of clients with broader therapy needs by opening her own clinic. She helped thousands of children and adults in her long professional career.

She is survived by her son, J. Stewart Swanson (Carol) of Rochester, MN and two grandsons, J. William (Kate) Swanson, Storm Lake, IA; James W. (fiancé Courtney Bergey) Swanson, Rochester, MN; and special nieces Jeanne (Jones) McKinney, Spokane, WA, and Julie (Jones) Pinnell, Lincoln, NE.

Jo was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Harold Swanson; parents; and siblings.

Memorials are preferred to UMW at First United Methodist Church, 516 Kellogg Avenue, Ames, IA 50010, or the .