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Clarence
Swanson, 82
Thief
River Falls - Clarence O. Swanson, 82, died on
Friday, September 13, 2002 at Northwest Medical
Center in Thief River Falls. 
Funeral
services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday,
September 18 (today) at the Black River Lutheran
Church in rural St. Hilaire with Rev. Arlen
Hermodson officiating. Ruthie Mosbeck will be the
organist. Soloist Diane Johnson will sing "Amazing
Grace" and "How Great Thou Art" and soloist Jay
Brekke will sing "I Can Only Imagine."
Casketbearers will be Jarrod Kalsnes, Mike Brooks,
Scott Sorvig, Mark Naplin, Mark Sorvig, Donald
Mosbeck and Gene Mosbeck. Honorary casketbearers
will be all of Clarence's grandchildren. Interment
will follow the service at Black River Cemetery in
Polk Centre Township with military honors accorded
by the American Legion Ecklund-Holmstrom Post 117
and the VFW Post 2793.
Clarence
Oscar Swanson was born on January 17, 1920, the son
of John Oscar and Dorothea (Schneider) Swanson in
Bray Township, Pennington County. He was baptized
and confirmed in the Christian faith at Black River
Lutheran Church. He attended District 180, a rural
school. On April 29, 1942, Clarence was drafted
into the Army. On July 1, 1942, he landed in the
Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands and was put in
the Michigan National Guard Coast Artillery Light
Unit. He returned in 1944 after seeing most of the
Aleutians. He then served in El Paso, Texas, Fort
Riley, Kan. and Camp Gruber, Okla. where he was
honorably discharged on November 11,
1945.
Clarence
married Norma Hanson on October 23, 1948 at the
Presbyterian Church in Plummer. He was a grain and
dairy farmer from 1946 until his retirement in
1985. He was a lifetime member of Black River
Lutheran Church, lifetime member of the VFW and a
member of the American Legion and Eagles Club.
Clarence was also a member of the North America
Hunting Club and National Rifle Association. He
served on the church board, St. Hilaire Creamery
board, ASCS board in 1975, Township supervisor for
many years, Township assesor, on the DHIA board and
taught Sunday School for two years. In 1979,
Clarence was Pennington County Conservation Farmer
and in 1980, he received the Honored Dairymen's
Award. Clarence and Norma were selected Pennington
County Farmer and Homemaker in 1982.
Survivors
include his wife, Norma of St. Hilaire; eight
children, Curtis (Marilyn) Swanson of Thief River
Falls, Gloria (Godfred) Svir of Thief River Falls,
Betty (Dale) Schantzen of New Town, N.D., Lyle
(Joni) Swanson of Thief River Falls, Mark
(Virginia) Swanson of Thief River Falls, Larry
Swanson of Fairbanks, Alaska, James (Karla) Swanson
of Thief River Falls and Pam (Jay) Brekke of
Menomonie, Wisc.; 22 grandchildren; one
great-granddaughter; one brother, Wilbert (Carol)
Swanson of Mechanicsburg, Pa.; special family
member, Irene Scholin of Arizona; and several
nieces, nephews and cousins.
Clarence
was preceded in death by his parents; a grandson;
three sisters, Dorothy Tatro, Gertrude Kemstad and
an infant sister, Ruth Swanson.
A00003B2002SP18
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