Swanberg Genealogy

We don't know too much about our mother and fathers courtship, but our mother did relate that she and our dad were out riding in a horse and buggy one Sunday and Dad laid a small box in her lap asked her to open it. Inside was an engagement ring.

After our parents were married, they lived for the first few years of their marriage with Grandma Swanberg at the farm at Wood Lake. Later Mom and Dad moved into a 30-acre farm they purchased outside of Grantsburg Wisconsin. This home also had a summer Kitchen built detached from the main house where all the summer cooking was done to keep both the main house cool for sleeping and to keep flies out. While living here their home was the popular place for summer get together s for dad's brothers and sisters and their families. When they moved to Poplar Wisconsin, then the summer picnics where probably moved to Nellie's and Andrews home which was more centrally located for all the Swanberg families to reach. When guests came they would eat in the main house and the children would eat last but not before newspapers were used to cover the table to keep the linens clean. In their summer kitchen they had a very large table, which was built into the floor, with benches built along the wall. Dad was an excellent farmer, supplementing their income from a milk route that he developed. His milk route grew quickly and was highly sought after by the local residents. Mom ran a good household but was anxious to move off the farm, so they moved into a house in the town of Grantsburg, and leased the farm out. The milk route was turned over to one of Mom’s brothers who were not as successful as our Dad in running it was. Even though it appears that our mother didn't’ care too much for farming I think we all will remember the beautiful flower gardens that Mother always had and loved to work in. Our mother was also shrewd at bargaining, always managing to get a little extra something thrown in, whenever she was negotiating with the merchants.

Both Lu and Loren remember our Mother and dad relating a few stories of their childhood. Dad talked of walking though a farm pasture to go to church and his father carrying him part of the way on his shoulders. How they had Indians in the school with them and how the Indians would get mad and tease them when Dad and others would chat in Swedish as the Indians could not understand what they were talking about. Also the Indian boys would kill rabbits and bring them to school. I imagine that they were killed on the way to school for food and were taken home after school. Mother remembers giving food to the Indians when they came by asking for food. Apparently like all kids, they would get into trouble from time to time. Dad talked of he and his brother Andrew pushing their sister Edith out of a window which ended up with her getting a cut lip. Dad never did mention what their punishment was. Mother also remembered that her mother and father first lived in a log cabin, and pointed it to Lu and Loren, which has since been torn down.

Lulu was born December 27, 1915, Loren June 7, 1917, Allen April 14, 1920, Beatrice May 4, 1922, Lorena March 31, 1925, Duane July 12, 1930 and Marlyce May 7, 1934. Allen died June 4, 1926. Allen had a birthmark that covered a large portion of his face. Our mother seemed to think that her being frightened during her pregnancy caused the birthmark. The funeral was held in our parent's home.

For some reason there was not much contact between our parents and Grandma Swanberg. Loren and Lu remember visiting with her on only a few rare occasions. This family friction may have had something do with the embarrassment of Laverne’s birth. After our parents were married they lived with Grandma Swanberg for a few years. It’s easy to imagine that this in itself may have caused some differences which may have lingered on after they moved out and the reason why their wasn't’ much contact with Grandma Swanberg later on. Both Lu and Loren remember Grandma Swanberg as being very pretty. Dad’s parents were members of the Swedish Lutheran church and Mom’s parents were members of the Swedish Baptist church, which was the church they attended after they were married.

Loren and Lu remember that the farm was not all work and no play for our parents. They remember, watching from the upstairs, how the rugs would get rolled up and friends would come by to dance and sing the night away. There was also the dandelion wine that they had made which would liven up the evening. Lu remembers that LaVerne lived with Mom and Dad for a Short time. He was remembered as driving to the farm on a chilly winter day, in a Model T Ford, in his shirtsleeves. He stayed with our parents until he got sick a then he was put in the sanatorium.

In addition to working the farm our father supplemented the family income by working as a lineman for the Farmers Independent Telephone Company in Grantsburg. The company’s Treasurer was a man by the name of Anderson who had 3 adult sons so he laid off our father and hired his son to replace our dad. The Dahlberg family, in Grantsburg, had purchased a Power company called County Line and they hired dad on as a lineman after the Telephone Company had laid him off. Dahlberg’s later sold out the company, however the purchaser over expanded and sold it back to the Dahlberg family for a lot less than he had paid for it, making Dahlberg’s, as rumored, and millionaires. By this time the company had expanded as far as Frederic Wisconsin had.

One of the Dahlberg's moved to Poplar Wisconsin to start up another Power Company and dad was asked to re-locate there, which he did. This was in 1929 and dad’s salary was $115.00 a month, which was a princely sum in 1929.

On July 15, 1930, 3 days after Duane was born, Dad was working in Lake Nebagamon, at the top of an Electrical pole which had a live electrical wire of 4160 volts coursing though it, when this hot wire touched Dad on his right elbow and 4160 volts of electricity went though his body starting in the right elbow and came out his left knee. Ed Dahlberg, at that time, was working with Dad on the ground but had no way to get up to him to get him down. So as Dad was hanging upside down and unconscious at the top of the pole, he had leave to find a ladder to get Dad down. Ed then borrowed a 2 door Ford Coupe from Venertstom Ford to drive Dad into the town of Lake Nebagamon, which at that time had a doctor. In all the hustle to get dad in the car, his fingers were pinched in the car door as they slammed it shut.

Dad spent about 2 years in the hospital. Doctor Wilcox was this long term Physician and performed numerous skin grafts when little was known about that type of operation and was pretty much in its experimental stages. Dad’s Right arm and left leg were left severely crippled. Other experiments were also tried, some that were not successful. Since he was right handed he had to train himself to write and do most other things left-handed. During his stay in the hospital Dad was on Morphine for many months and eventfully had to break that dependency habit. Dahlberg's were not known as being generous with the Dollars and, while Dad was maintained on the company’s payroll, Mother had to go to Carl Dahlberg to get Dad’s monthly salary increased.

Over the years Dad never complained of the accident and was a thoughtful and caring father, never complaining, and never let his handicap hinder him. After he was released form the hospital we move to Solon Springs where Dad would be closer to Doctor Wilcox. Dahlberg's had purchased a small Power company owned by Prevost in Solon Springs and Dad would manage the facility. With WPA help, in 1930-31 Dahlberg’s built a dam in Gordon Wisconsin, and we moved to Gordon where Dad managed the plant until he retired in 1955(?). Dad was generally on duty there 24 hours a day until 19?? when Gordon Liligrin was hired and when he left Rudy Baustian, when they split the shifts into 12 hours each.

While living in Gordon Dad and Mother were very active in he Gordon Presbyterian Church as it was the only Protestant church in the area. Dad served as a Elder. Dad was also elected to the School Board and served as treasurer for about 12 years. Our dad also was an Insurance agent selling auto insurance for State Farm Insurance Company as well as fire insurance for several other insurance companies.

In 1953 They built a home in Solon Springs where they lived until 1956(?) when they sold the home and moved to Hayward California. Dad died May 30, 1982 and Mother September 1, 1984. Both are interred at the Chapel of Chimes, in Hayward, California.