Bio: Swanson, Gertrude F. (In Memory)

Contact:  Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Swanson, Anderson, Zaborowski, Franklin, Hubbard, Harycki

----Sources: Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI.) (no date given)

"Life Celebrations" In Memory of Gertrude F. Swanson

Gertrude Swanson lived in Thorp for the majority of her adult life, and yet, the community knew very little about her personal life. We learned that she was born on June 22, 1913 in Binford, North Dakota, and was the only child of Albert and Sadie Anderson.

She was a 1933 graduate of the University, North Dakota, with a major in English and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. We know that she married her husband Roy Swanson. Prior to coming to Thorp, Gertrude Swanson taught in her home state for seven years, and moved here with her husband Roy Swanson, having married him in 1939.

The Swansons originally lived in the apartment building on Main Street, just west of what is now Three Rivers Veterinary Clinic. Gertrude began teaching at Thorp High School in 1941, teaching briefly beforehand in Barron. She taught High School English, and yearbooks show she also acted as the Senior Class Advisor, the play director, the "Out of the Pines" year book advisor and the staff advisor for Cardinal Hi-Lites. During World War II, she also moved into the Science Department to teach Chemistry. Roy Swanson was the high school Ag teacher and was well-known over the state for his weed seed collections.

The Swansons had no children of their own, and thus were very committed to the children of Thorp who were their students. Students throughout the years remember Gertrude as having been an excellent English teacher. According to Diane (Zaborowski) Franklin, who had Mrs. Swanson for both Junior and Senior English in 1955 and 1956, "I remember her being a very professional and caring English teacher who cared about teaching the fundamentals of English. She was a very good teacher." Clarice Hubbard remembers her as a "….stickler for using correct English. It would upset her on radio programs when people misspoke." Bill Harycki had Mrs. Swanson for Language Arts throughout his high school career. He recalls, "She was really good at what she taught and really loved what she was doing. When I went on to college, I was very well ***(the balance of the article was not available to transcribe).