William E. “Bill” Swanson, age 95, of
Perham
,
MN
, died
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
, at the Perham Memorial Nursing Home.
Bill was born
December 23, 1913
, in
Moorhead
,
MN
, the son of Peter and Alvina (Paasch) Swanson. He was one of six children. Bill left school in the 12
th
grade (1928) after his father’s death to work at Wentzel’s Meat Market to help support the family. He entered into the US Army in 1943 as a meat cutter and was married at his army base in
Louisville
,
KY
, to Eloise Ann McDonald in 1945. In 1946 he was honorably discharged from the Army. Bill and Eloise had two children, Viki and Jim. They moved to Perham in 1952 where Bill bought a store and began his grocery business; the L.B. Hartz Store. Eloise died in September 1964. On
March 13, 1971
, he married Delores A. Ceynowa. She died in February 2009. Bill was president of the Chamber of Commerce in Perham on two separate occasions, belonged to the Rotary, and an Elks member in
Moorhead
, Perham and Wadena. He was also a member of the Moorhead Country Club and a charter member of the Perham Lakeside Golf Course.
Bill is survived by daughter, Victoria (Wayne) Zimmerman; son, James Swanson; grandchildren, Patrick (Maggie) Zimmerman and Caitlin Zimmerman; step daughter, Mary Jo (Roger) Bahls; step grandchildren, Jodi Jo (Ken) Satkunam, and Joshua (Alisha) Bahls; four step great-grandchildren; a brother, Don (Delores) Swanson; sister-in-law, Gladys Swanson; and many nieces and nephews.
Preceding Bill in death are his parents; a brother, Norman Swanson; and three sisters, Evelyn Brotten, Esther Swanson and Harriette Swanson.
