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  Pioneer - Olaf Swanson
Wife - Johanna Nilsson

Family Recognition Certificate - #1047
Nebraska Homestead - South half of northwest quarter of section 22, township 14 N, range 3 W, Polk county, Nebraska.

 

The Olaf Swanson Family

     Johanna Nilsson (Jenny), third child of Trued and Elsie Nilsson. She was born on July, 30, 1847 in Attarp, Kristianstads Lan, Sweden.
     She came to U.S. and to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1871, where she worked in the home of the late Dr. Allen R. Benton, first chancellor of the University of Nebraska. After three years in this home she became the bride of Olaf Swanson, who had arrived on the same sailing vessel from Sweden. They were married Oct. 17, 1874, and moved immediately to a homestead in Polk County, an inland village, because it had no RR. They were of the Lutheran faith and continued their membership in the Swede Home church for some time, but eventually left it and affiliated with the Swedish Methodist church in Stromsburg, where they remained until their death.
     They were the parents of seven children, the oldest two being twins. The writer, as a youngster, remembers Aunt "Jenny" as a very modest and gracious lady, never given to voluble talk and answering only when spoken to, and then in a soft smooth voice. Her eyes were bright and lively, and she smiled readily and with warmth. She was rather broad of face but of medium build.
     Olaf, her husband, made up for her reticence, not only in vociferously discussing every subject known to mankind, but in an obstreperous and dramatic fashion. His gesticulations with arms, eyes, head and body, left no doubt as to where he stood in an argument. He had unruly hair and a wild look in his eyes, but he was kind and provident with his family, and well liked.

FAMILY OF OLAF & JOHANNA SWANSON

John August, b. July 14, 1875	d. Feb. 25, 1924
Anna Selma, b. July 14, 1875
Joseph, b. July 10, 1878	d. Dec. 9, 1930
Emma Sophia, b. Jan. 11, 1882
Cecelia, b. Feb. 22, 1885
Herman Levi, b. Feb. 21, 1888
Hannah Marie, b. July 3, 1891

Submitted by Gary N Thompson

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