Roger Swanson

Roger was born June 7th 1923 in Chicago, IL to Axel and Mabel (Oberg) Swanson. He was baptized and confirmed in the Chicago area. He graduated from Taft High School in Edgebrook, IL in 1941. Roger was drafted into the armed services on March 11th 1943, he served his country in WW II with the 69th Infantry Division in Europe, he was a mortar gunner with Regiment 271. Being discharged from the Army in March 21st 1946, he continued into college at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL under the GI Bill of Rights. He graduated with a B.A. in Chemistry and continued his education at the University of Iowa and earned his master’s degree in Geology in 1950. Roger was offered a job with Shell Oil as a Geologist and did a lot of traveling with the company. He met his wife Eunice Ell, formally from Ortonville, in Billings MT where he was working and she was teaching, they married there on October 24th 1957. They adopted a daughter in 1960 (Karen) and a son in 1964 (Tim), and settled in Texas while he continued working with Shell Oil. Roger retired in 1987 and he and Eunice moved to Littleton, CO in 1992 until 2000 when they moved here to Ortonville.

Roger loved fishing, reading, and especially his family and pets. He was a lifetime member of the VFW and the American Legion. There was always a smile on his face and kind words to say, he was forever "thankful".

Roger died Wednesday September 1, 2010, at the Ortonville Hospital. He is survived by daughter Karen Lynne Swanson of Ortonville, MN and Tim (Beth) Swanson of Ortonville, MN, two grandchildren Austin and Lauren Swanson. He was preceeded in death by his wife Eunice, two brothers, one sister and his parents.



In lieu of flowers memorials are to go to the Ortonville Lilbrary, Big Stone County Food Shelf, Big Stone County Salvation Army and Big Stone Health Care Foundation.