98
Sioux Falls, SD (Formally of Hartford, SD)
June 28, 2023
Donald Swenson, Sioux Falls, died June 28, 2023, at the age of 98. Donald, son of Clarence and Agnes (Johnson) Swenson, was born on September, 29, 1924. He grew up on a farm near Hartford, which had been homesteaded in 1879. He graduated from Hartford High School in 1942. On February 20, 1949, he married Mildred Meyer in Sioux Falls. The couple moved to a farm Swenson purchased two and half miles north of Hartford where they farmed for 40 years.
Donald was baptized and confirmed at Benton Lutheran Church near Crooks and was active there serving on the Church Council and was a member of the Fellowship Club. He also served on the Hartford Grain Elevator Board, the Federal Land Bank Board and was a member of the West Central School Board, serving on the first board when the school reorganization came to Hartford and Humboldt. Don loved traveling and took his family on vacation every year. While he enjoyed golfing and bowling in his retirement, he also enjoyed spectator sports and was pleased to support the Hartford community by selling some farm land for soccer and baseball fields at Swenson Park.
On March 20, 1988, Donald lost his wife of thirty nine years to cancer. In 1989 he retired from farming and moved to a home on Nicole Avenue in Sioux Falls. On April 28, 1990, he married Irene Stearns at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church where they volunteered on committees and worked in the library. On June 25, 2014, he lost his second wife, Irene, to Alzheimer’s disease.
Shortly after this loss, he sold his home and moved to the Good Samaritan Lodge on Creekside Drive. Later he moved to Touchmark at All Saints on 17th Street and Phillips Avenue in Sioux Falls.
Grateful for having shared his life are his two daughters, Diane Swenson of the Washington, DC area and Debra (Joseph) Vought, Gettysburg, PA; grandchildren, Kristin Vought (Ben Siebert), Gettysburg, PA and Jonathan Vought of Richmond, VA; great-grandson Luke Siebert.
Also sharing his life are his stepchildren, David (Rachel) Stearns, Gary (Janet) Stearns, Lois (Wesley) Cass and Joel Stearns. Donald is survived by step grandchildren, Sara (Ryan) MacKenzie, Lisa (Randy) Smith, Jaime (Michael) Hoskins and Kayla Stearns; step great-grandchildren, Oliver and Ivy Smith, Colin, Ian and Lydia MacKenzie.
He was preceded in death by sisters, Mildred and Irene; brother Lawrence; parents; two step children Sheryl Hickle and Warren Stearns.
Services were held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church on July 6, 2023, with a committal at Benton Lutheran Church, Crooks.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church or Benton Lutheran Church Cemetery Fund.
Funeral services provided by Miller Funeral Home.