Swanberg Genealogy

Edwin married Myrtle Orphie Lindblad 1920. Their two children were Esther born February 25, 1921 and Donald Melker born October 28, 1930. Edwin died September 12, 1971 at the age of 76 years

Edwin attended school in Wood River, Wisconsin. He was only 6 years old when his father died of Malaria. He continued school after his father died and finished the 5th grade, but due to pressures on the farm, he quit school to help with the chores and fieldwork to keep the homestead going. His son, Donald, remembers his father telling him stories of his early childhood, sleeping around the wood stove in the kitchen, during the harsh winters of 30º and 40º below weather, to keep warm, waiting for his father to come home from working on the railroads in Florida and bring him a Christmas present of one Orange. He had never seen an Orange before and kept it under his pillow for days, until it finally spoiled. During Edwin's Teen years he worked in the Creamery, and in South Dakota worked the Grain fields during the Harvest season. His pay was 50¢ per day, and he would sleep in various barns up in the new mown hay. He met his future wife, Myrtle Lindblad, when he was 17 years old, she being 14, in Trade Lake, Wisconsin. They began their courtship speaking to each other over the fence of adjoining farms. Edwin was working at the time on his brother's Andrew farm, which was located next to the Carl Melker Lindblad 40-acre farm. The courtship between Edwin and Myrtle continued with long walks on the country roads, and rides in horse drawn Buggy. They also attended many church activities together though out the following years. Edwin finally decided farm life was not for him and headed for the twin cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul Minnesota, which is about 75 miles south of Trade Lake. He obtained a job as a milkman in Minneapolis with Metropolitan Creamery. At that time they used horse drawn wagons to deliver milk to residential neighborhoods all over the city. Don remembers his father relating how wonderful and smart the horses were as in time the horses would get to know the route so well they would stop at stop lights to wait for the lights to change, and while Edwin walked the city blocks delivering the milk bottles to the various porches, the horses would slowly follow him up and down the streets on there own, with no prodding. At the end of the day all Edwin had to say was "lets go home" and with not so much as touching the reins for the 10 to 15 miles trip back to the Creamery, the team of horses would go through all the city traffic while Edwin finished his days receipts and paper work. After a year of corresponding with Myrtle, he coaxed Myrtle to come down to Minneapolis. This was probably a difficult decision for Myrtle to make, especially knowing how strict her father was. Myrtle related to her son Don that it was many years later before her father would speak to Edwin. Edwin found a job for Myrtle working as a maid in a home for a wealthy Minneapolis Judge. It so happened that the Judge's home was on Edwin's Milk route so Edwin could see her every day as he delivered the milk. Myrtle would always have coffee ready for him when he came by. They were married in 1920, Myrtle being 22 and Edwin 25. They rented an upstairs apartment on 11th avenue in Minneapolis. Shortly after Esther was born, in 1921, they purchased a lot in Northeast Minneapolis and built a home at 1926 McKinley street. Edwin worked as a milkman for 40 years, retiring at the age of 65 from the Franklin Creamery in 1971.