Vivian G. Swanson, age 84, of Ham Lake, died January 17, 2014 at home. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 P.M. Thursday, January 23rd at Strike Funeral Home-Isanti Chapel with Rev. Howard Skulstad officiating. A time for visiting will be held one hour prior to the service.
Vivian Gloria (Hathaway) Swanson was born March 21, 1929 in St. Paul to Joseph and Bertha (Stricker) Hathaway. She graduated from Harding High School in 1947. Vivian married Marlo Swanson in Rush City on July 24, 1949 where they farmed until 1952. They then moved to St. Paul where she lived until 1961, moving then to Ham Lake where she resided for 52 years until her death. Vivian loved gardening and canning her fruits and vegetables, feeding a variety of birds and animals and also her coffee. She worked for 10 years at Carlos Avery Nursery on their tree plantation. Her home was always open to family and the coffee was always on. She loved her many grandchildren, family and friends and she especially looked forward to the Holiday get-to-gethers. Vivian will be forever missed.
Besides her parents she was preceded in death by her husband, Marlo; three grandchildren, Tim, Brad and Jim; and by her two brothers, Joe and Don.
Vivian is survived by 6 children, Arlen (Cindy) Swanson of Foley, Linda (Michael) Ingalls of Ham Lake, Cindy (Mike) O’Neil of Isanti, Marlene (Richard) Hanson of Cambridge, Paul (Cindy) Swanson of Ham Lake, Joel (Laurie) Swanson of Alpine, Wyoming; 18 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; 2 sisters, Bernice Peden of St. Paul, Florence Swanson of Rush City; and many other relatives and friends.
Our sincerest sympathy to the family. We always enjoyed when your Mother visited Muscatine with Bernice and Emery. We have fond memories of her laugh and sense of humor. We will miss her as we are certain you will. I have enjoyed talking with Linda and hope we can keep in touch as “distant” cousins.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this time. We will always remember the memories made at the Hathaway Reunions in Muscatine. What fun we had!
Jeff and Shirley Temple
Lester and Marion Jones
Prayers for Vivian and your family as she completed this life’s journey. I always enjoyed visiting with her and admiring her weedless garden. She told me one time to weed with a teaspoon and that weed would never come back and how right she was. I don’t think I ever saw Vivian without a smile and a kind word. I hope the “3 Musketeers”, Tom Cimbura, Joe Wicklund and most important Marlo Swanson were at the gate to greet her with a big bouquet of angel flowers. I send you all my deepest sympathy for the loss of Vivian.
Carol Cimbura
Renee Johnson