Obituary for Bergit Swenson

Bergit was born on June 9, 1923 to Olaf and Carrie Jellum.  She grew up on her parents’ farms near Hill City and Grand Rapids, Minnesota.  Bergit graduated from Grand Rapids High School in 1941. That summer she met her future husband, Earl Swenson, at a church convention in Ontario, Canada.  They married on November 10, 1944 in Grand Rapids.

Bergit grew up helping her parents on their farms. In 1942-1944, she worked as a nursing assistant in hospitals in Grand Rapids and Virginia, Minnesota.  Bergit also worked at the Post Office in Grand Rapids and was a rural route mail carrier.

When Bergit was a teenager, she chose to serve the Lord.  She was true to her convictions until the end of her life.  Throughout 75 years of marriage, Bergit and Earl encouraged their children and others by their example to put God first in their lives.

Bergit and Earl’s first home was on a farm five miles south of Oklee.  In 1953, they traded land, equipment, and livestock for a house in Oklee and a business on Main Street that was expanded to sell petroleum products, run a trucking operation, operate a restaurant, and sell and service farm machinery, cars, trucks, snowmobiles, recreational equipment, and trailers.  With Bergit’s strong support, Earl ran the business until his death in 2019 at the age of 98 years and 10 months.

While Earl & Bergit were raising their five children, Bergit began to drive bus for the Oklee Public School in 1958.  She drove bus for the next 40 years, taking a special interest in the Oklee-area children whom she drove to school and to special classes and events.  Between routes, she sometimes drove a delivery truck for Oklee Manufacturing and she helped at Arcady Inn, their café on Main Street.

Bergit will long be remembered for being a gracious hostess, making wonderful meals, having coffee visits, and writing letters of encouragement to family and friends near and far. She was also very supportive of the Oklee community.  She volunteered for Red Lake County social services, driving people to appointments in other towns.  Bergit was trained as an EMT and drove the Oklee Ambulance when needed. She served as an officer in the Parent-Teacher Association and was a member of the Oklee Legion Auxiliary. Bergit also was an avid gardener of vegetables and flowers.

Bergit and Earl lived in several different homes in Oklee. Their last 20 years together in Oklee were in the home they called “Sunset Corner”.  In 2020, Bergit moved from Oklee and lived with her children in Minnesota, Missouri, and Texas. During the last three months of her life, she was cared for at Tiffin House, a memory care home in Georgetown, Texas.

Bergit was preceded in death by her husband Earl Swenson, parents Olaf and Carrie Jellum, brothers Delbert and Paul Jellum, sister Elna Jellum, and infant grandson Brian Carlson.  Bergit is survived by her five children, Karen Carlson (Doug) of Georgetown, Texas, Curt Swenson (Caroline) of Burr Ridge, Illinois, Tim Swenson (Donna) of Marshall, Minnesota, Don Swenson (Cheri) of Ramona, California, and Sherry Dake (Larry) of Salem, Missouri, as well as 13 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 11 am on Saturday, April 30 at Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home in Georgetown, Texas. This will be preceded by a visitation starting at 9 am. 

Another service will be held at 11 am on Saturday, May 7 at the Oklee School in Oklee, Minnesota.  This will be preceded by a visitation starting at 9 am and followed by a luncheon at the school.  Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery, rural McIntosh, Minnesota. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made for new tables and chairs for the Oklee Community Center Hall.  Please send to Memory of Bergit Swenson, City of Oklee, P.O. Box 190, Oklee MN 56742 or to Sherry Dake, 58 County Road 3173, Salem MO 65560.