Swenson, Agnes Irene 1915 - 2015

SWENSON, PEANDER, RUD, STORLIE, GJERDRUM, TOLLEFSRUD, KJOME, FISCHER, WOOD, ATHERTON, GLASRUD

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 8/21/2015 at 13:29:16

Agnes Irene Swenson, 100, of Spring Grove, Minn., died Sat. Aug. 15, 2015, at Gundersen Tweeten Care Center in Spring Grove. Memorial services are Saturday, Aug. 22, at 11 a.m. at Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church, rural Spring Grove, Minn. Burial is in the church cemetery. Pastor Allen Hermeier will officiate. Friends may call at the church Saturday from 10 a.m. until time of service. Roble Funeral Home of Spring Grove is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be left at roblefuneralhome.com.

She was born June 1, 1915, on Goose Island in Decorah, in a small house on Monroe Street, to John Peander and Inga Cornelia (Storlie) Rud. She was a lifelong Iowa and Minnesota resident. Agnes was a Spring Grove High School graduate, and received her teaching certificate after studying at Luther College in Decorah. She taught at several schools, including the Stone Church School (Cabbage Ridge No. 86), Waterloo Ridge School and Highland School (Bekken School). In Hesper, she taught Kindergarten, psy ed and music. The school later burned. Agnes returned to school and received her B.A. degree from Winona State University, going on to teach first grade at Spring Grove Public Elementary for 13 years. Agnes retired from teaching in 1982. Agnes married Peter Kermit Swenson at Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church Aug. 18, 1937. The couple farmed for many years. Agnes worked alongside her husband, operating many pieces of farm equipment. The couple retired from farming and moved to Spring Grove in 1983. Peter preceded Agnes in death in Aug. of 1991. Agnes was a member of Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church, where she was the church organist from 1953 to 2003. She also was very active in Waterloo Ridge’s women’s groups.

Agnes is survived by her daughters, Linda Kjome Gjerdrum of Mabel, Minn. and Lois (Jim) Tollefsrud of Dorchester; her grandchildren: Peter (Kristen) Kjome, Kristin Kjome (and husband Jonathan Fischer), Kari Kjome and Catherine Kjome, Mikal (Shannon) Tollefsrud and Kelly (Bryan) Wood; her great-grandchildren: Klara and Elinor Kjome Fischer, Erik and Jacob Tollefsrud and Elsa, Henry and Cora Wood; her sister-in-law, Shirley Swenson of Spring Grove; her double cousins, Eleanor Rud and Evelyn Atherton; several nieces and nephews; and her faithful companion -- her cat, Grey Puss.

In addition to her parents and her husband Peter, she was preceded in death by her son-in-law Don Gjerdrum, her sister and brother-in-law, Margaret and Leslie Glasrud, her niece Camilla Crawford and her nephew Robert Glasrud.

Source: Decorah Newspapers August 17, 2015