Bio: Swanson, August (1957)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 
 

Surnames: Swanson, Stiemke, Tews, Wren, Zank, Knipfel, Lloyd, Barker, Van Gorden  
 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) September 26, 1957 
 

Swanson, August (1957) 
 

August Swanson, 95, has the distinction of being the oldest surgical patient in the history of Memorial Hospital.  Mr. Swanson, a resident of Clark County since 1906, underwent an emergency appendectomy Tuesday evening.   
 

His son Harry Swanson of La Crosse, and his daughter, Emma, (now Mrs. Clarence Stiemke) of Tomah, arrived Tuesday to visit their father.  Harry a resident of Neillsville for many years, returned to La Crosse Tuesday evening, but Mrs. Stiemke remained. 
 

Mr. Swanson was born in Sweden and came to America and worked as a "bronco-buster" in Wyoming and South Dakota for many years.  In 1906, Mr. and Mrs. Swanson came to Neillsville and lived on the farm north of Neillsville now owned by the Charles Tews family.  In 1911, the Swansons moved onto a farm south of Sydney, between the Tom Wren and Emil Zank properties, now owned by Frank Knipfel. 
 

Mrs. Swanson died 12 years ago, and since that time Mr. Swanson has lived with his children and in recent years with Mr. and Mrs. Byno Lloyd of Levis Township.  On Tuesday afternoon the Lloyds brought Mr. Swanson to the hospital, and surgery was found to be necessary even though he is 95. 
 

Mr. Swanson has established a reputation as a checker-player, says his son Harry.  "Dad never found anyone that could beat him in checkers in the Neillsville area and he beat everyone he played with at La Crosse."  Mr. Swanson is one of Clark County’s oldest residents. 
 

Up until Mr. Swanson’s surgery, the late Jimmy Barker, an uncle of Mrs. Harry Van Gorden was the oldest surgical patient of record, at a Neillsville hospital.  He was 94 years of age when he underwent an operation for removal of gallstones; the operation being performed in the old Neillsville Hospital.  Mr. Barker had a normal recovery and came through the operation as well as many younger patients.