Pike Township Family Stories
FRED AND ELSIE SWANSON
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 258-260
By Elsie SwansonFred Ivor “Fritz” Swanson was born in March, 1908 in Washington county, Iowa, the son of Johan A. Swanson and Mary Johnson Swanson. He was married 9 June 1934 in Iowa City to Elsie Mildred Stolley. He died 3 September 1975 in Iowa City and is buried in the Nichols cemetery.
Elsie Stolley was born in rural Riverside, Iowa, on 9 February 1909, the daughter of John W. Stolley and Minnie Louise Johansen Stolley. They were parents of six children: Mary Louise Swanson, John Frederick Swanson, Daryl Eugene Swanson, Robert Dwight Swanson, Gaylord Lee Swanson and Roger Keith Swanson.
Fred Swanson’s parents both came from Sweden. His brothers and sisters were Emil Swanson, Arthur Swanson, Alma Swanson, Tilda Swanson, Oscar Swanson, Lillian Swanson, Bertha Swanson and Alyce Swanson. All have died, as well as several children who died in infancy.
Elsie’s grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. Carl Johansen and Mr. and Mrs. John Stolley, Sr. The Johansens came from Sweden and Germany to Davenport, Iowa; the Stolleys came from Germany to Davenport and settled at Riverside, Iowa.
Elsie attended rural schools in Washington county, Iowa, the Lone Tree school and Muscatine county schools. She attended Lone Tree High school and graduated from Nichols High school in 1928 as valedictorian of her class. She worked for Mrs. J. Rummells in the summer and fall of 1928, attended Iowa State Teachers college and received a teacher’s certificate in 1929. She taught rural schools in Johnson county, Iowa, for three years, then at Athens school (which was known as Mudhole) in Wapsi township in Muscatine county, and Willow Grove school in Pike township.
Elsie Swanson remembers riding the Rock Island train to Cedar Ralls, Iowa, to attend college there. Her father, John Stolley, registered for the draft on Armistice Day, 11 November 1918. Her husband, Fred Swanson, was old enough so that he wasn’t drafted for World War II. In addition, he was needed to work on the farm. She recalls rationing in both World Wars.
Elsie had five sisters and two brothers. One sister, Golda Stolley, died at the age of 15 when she was a freshman in Nichols High school. Another sister, Alma Stolley, died in Florida, and her older brother, Carl Stolley, died in Muscatine, at Clark House. Her sister, Edith Stolley Heath, a retired part time cafeteria helper, lives in Muscatine at Clark House. Gladys Stolley is retired and lives in Davenport. Irene Stolley, her youngest sister, works in a school cafeteria and lives in Florida. Her youngest brother lives in Muscatine where he is employed as the traveling salesman for Mills Auto Parts.
Mary Louise Swanson, born in Muscatine, the daughter of Fred Swanson and Elsie Swanson, graduated from Nichols High school as valedictorian of her class and from the Mercy School of Nursing in Iowa City. She worked as a registered nurse in Muscatine before she moved to San Jose, California, where she worked in a hospital. She was married to Denis Earl Whitehorn in San Jose. They moved to Seattle, Washington, then to New Orleans, Louisiana, for one year, and finally to the Quad Cities area, where she worked in hospitals and nursing homes. She graduated from St. Ambrose college in Davenport, Iowa, and taught at Scott Community college in Davenport, where she still works part time as an instructor. Mary and Denis have three children: Laura Whitehorn, Dianne Whitehorn and James Whitehorn. Laura Whitehorn is a graduate of The University of Iowa and works in a bank in Iowa City. Dianne Whitehorn will graduate from The University of Iowa. James Whitehorn is in his second year with the United States Merchant Marines.
John Frederick Swanson, son of Fred Swanson and Elsie Swanson, was born at Nichols. He graduated from Nichols High school and joined the U. S. Navy. He attended Community college in Muscatine and then re-enlisted in the Navy. He attended and graduated from Purdue university with a degree in electrical engineering systems. He continued in naval aviation for twenty years before he retired. He worked for Boeing Aircraft at Seattle, Washington, as an instructor, then went to Federal Express in Memphis, Tennessee, as personnel manager, where he is now employed. He married Beverly Rogers in Oak Harbor, Washington.
Daryl Eugene Swanson was born at Nichols, the son of Fred Swanson and Elsie Swanson. He graduated from Nichols High school and joined the United States Navy, serving for 22 years. He was also in the Naval Air branch of the Navy and served in various Pacific areas. He married Karen Valett, a granddaughter of Cleve Hazen and Julie Hazen of Nichols, in Wilton, Iowa. They live at Blue Grass, Iowa. Daryl works for Wang, a computer company at Rock Island, Illinois, as a service man in the Iowa and Illinois area. Daryl and Karen have a son in the U. S. Navy at Oak Harbor, Washington, and a son who graduated from West High school in Davenport, Iowa, who is working for a contractor building houses.
Robert Dwight Swanson, son of Fred Swanson and Elsie Swanson, was born in Iowa City. He graduated from Lone Tree High school and attended The University of Iowa. He has worked for Grain Processing company at Muscatine for 16 years. He lives with his mother in rural Nichols and is clerk for the Pike Township trustees. He builds model planes in his spare time and is an active member of the Muscatine Miniature Aircraft club.
Gaylord Lee Swanson, born to Fred Swanson and Elsie Swanson, also graduated from Lone Tree High school at the time when the Nichols school was changing and merging with West Liberty schools. He was active in sports and public speaking. He graduated from Iowa State college with a degree in sociology. He was employed with Southwestern Bell Telephone company at St. Louis, Missouri. Later, he was transferred to A. T. & T. at Bridgewater, New Jersey, where he is presently employed.
Roger Keith Swanson was born to Fred Swanson and Elsie Swanson. Roger graduated from Lone Tree High school and Iowa State university. He married Doris Swenson in Ames, Iowa. After graduation, he worked at a turkey farm in Harlan, Iowa. They left Harlan and came to Muscatine where he has been employed by Monsanto. He has recently been certified as an industrial hygienist (CIH). He and his wife have three children, and they live in Muscatine. Both are active in the Grace Lutheran church. Doris Swanson is also a certified instructor and does substitute teaching in the Muscatine schools.
Elsie Swanson has been making doll clothes as a hobby for about twenty years. She has also been active in Eastern Star, Rebekah Lodge, Nichols United Methodist church and recently joined the Women’s Relief Corps at Lone Tree. She enjoys crafts and sewing and keeps busy with these activities.
Johan Swanson, Fred’s father, originally rented the farm from Gus Herring. After Fred and Elsie’s marriage, Fred Swanson, his father and his brother, Oscar Swanson, continued to farm it and an additional 160 acres that Herring purchased from the Metcalfs. This 160 acres joined the original farm, which was known as the Ames farm, on the north.
Gus Herring died, and Elmer Herring, his only son, inherited all of the farms. Johan Swanson died in 1952, and Fred Swanson continued to farm the same acreage. Thus, Fred was farming the land in 1974 when Elmer “Dutch” Herring died, leaving the farms to the tenants on them, as Elmer had never married and had no close heirs. Fred Swanson died in September of 1975, leaving the farm to his wife. She and one son, Robert Swanson, continue to live in the farm home, but the land is all leased.
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Page created December 18, 2010 by Lynn McCleary