Margaret Swanson, 93

Margaret Swanson, 93, of rural Lake Bronson, Minnesota passed away
at Karlstad Healthcare Center in Karlstad, Minnesota on Friday, March
1st, 2013.  Ethel Margaret Gustafson was born November 25, 1919 in
Nelson Park Township west of Karlstad to Carl (C.J.) and Jennie
(Johnson) Gustafson.  After her father died suddenly in 1923 leaving
his wife with four small children, the family moved to the ridge
south of the Karlstad school.  As a child, she played in the meadows
where the Meadows Assisted Living stands today.  She was confirmed at
the Karlstad Baptist Church and was active in youth groups.  Margaret
graduated from Karlstad High School in 1937, Warren Normal College,
and Moorhead Teachers College.  She taught in country school
including Beaton school, rural Karlstad  She also worked at Karlstad
State Bank.  On December 7, 1946, she married Lennart Swanson of
Jupiter Township west of Lake Bronson.  Together, they farmed small
grains, potatoes, and beef.  They were named Outstanding Farm Couple
in 1959.  She was driving trucks and the combine until age 75.
Margaret was a founding member of Jupiter Harmony Homemakers; a
member of Artists Unlimited; a Jupiter Busy Bees 4-H Club leader; and
a Jupiter Township election judge.  She was especially proud for
winning Best of Show at Kittson County Fair.  She loved cooking and
baking, arts and crafts, quilting and teaching sewing.  She was
well-known for breadmaking, canning and feeding many hired men on the
farm.  Active in Lake Bronson Community Covenant Church, she was a
Sunday School teacher and superintendant, Ladies Aid member and
President, and church treasurer.  For decades she made Swedish egg
coffee for church events.  She was very proud of her Swedish ancestry
and took language lessons as an adult.
    Margaret was preceded in death by parents; husband, Lennart in 2003;
a sister, Elna (Vincent) Johnson; nephews, Byron and Clinton Johnson;
and brother, Carl Rudolph (Rudy) Gustafson of Karlstad.
    She is survived by a brother, John Leonard Gustafson, Spokane, WA;
children, Marilyn (Larry) Peterson, Richmond, MN, Patricia Anderson,
Plymouth, MN, Joyce Cosek, Wheaton, IL, and Lowell (Lori) Swanson,
Carson, ND; grandchildren, Joel Anderson, Niki Anderson, Craig
Peterson, Corey Peterson, Nicholas Cosek, Kendra Cosek and Christine
Simon; great grandchilren, Josie Peterson, Adam Anderson, Linnea
Anderson, Summer Simon, Allie Simon and Aubree Simon; a nephew, John
Gustafson, nieces, Elaine Johnson, Linda Dick, Lois Chapel and Ingrid
Stanley.
    Funeral services are scheduled for Tuesday, March 5th, 2013 at 2:00
p.m. in the Community Covenant Church at Lake Bronson.  Interment
will be in Jupiter Cemetery, rural Lake Bronson.  Visitation will be
held at the church on Tuesday for one hour prior to the funeral
service.  Wesley Staie, presiding, Barb Staie, pianist, Lyndon
Johnson, soloist and Marjorie Hawk, soloist. Casket bearers will be
grandchildren.  The Austin Funeral Home of Hallock is in charge of
arrangements