Category Archives: Swanson family history

Roy Albert Swanson

Death Certificate Index
Death: November 27, 1996
County of Death: Hennepin County, Minnesota
Mother’s Maiden Name: MOEN,
Date of Birth: Jul 24 1910
Place of Birth: OUT OF STATE

Roy Albert Swanson

Registration of Birth in Saskatchewan, Canada

Father: Abraham Swanson, native country: US. Occupation: farmer.
Mother: Theoline (?) Moen, native country: US.

His birth certificate says Russel Swanson, born July 24, 1910. Perhaps Russel was an error in recording.

Mother’s name appears to be Theoline, is spelled Theolene on her death certificate.

Enlisted in the US Navy in World War II (Evelyn’s headstone reads “Wife of RM1 Roy A. Swanson USN”. Radioman first class in the US Navy) served in the Pacific on minesweepers. He said that when he joined the military, he wanted to enlist as a US citizen, so he claimed his birthplace was Tolley, North Dakota, a town where the building housing birth records had burned down.

Married Evelyn Irene Rush, had four sons. Lived in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, until after Evelyn’s death.

Worked for Air Reduction in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Became regional manager, supervising dry ice plant in St. Paul, industrial gas plant in Minneapolis, acetylene plant in area north of Twin Cities, and plant in Fargo, North Dakota.

Roy sitting next to Theolene.
Roy in dark suit with mother Theolene and brothers Clarence (standing) ? andTelford ?.
Roy in bow tie.
Selmer and Roy, World War II. Selmer also served in WW I.
Jerome, John, Evelyn, Jeffrey, James,Roy,
Evelyn and Roy at Roy’s retirement

Evelyn Swanson née Rush

Minnesota Birth Certificate Index
Rush, Evelyn Irene
Birth: April 30 1917
County of Birth: Hennepin County, Minnesota
Mother’s Maiden Name: Gable

Oldest child of Frank Rush and Sophia Gable. Siblings Wlliam LeRoy Rush (1920–1997) and Raymond Francis Rush (1922–1995).

Married Roy Albert Swanson after he returned from the US Navy at the end of WWII. The story was Evelyn worked in the office of a pickle factory and Roy worked nearby — at Dry Ice – Airco?

Lived in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, on Beard Avenue and Crystal Lake Boulevard.

They had four sons: James Lee (b. 1947), John Allen (b. 1949), Jerome Roy (1951-1994 ), and Jeffrey Scott (b. 1957).

Death Certificate Index
Swanson, Evelyn I.
Death: July 5, 1980, Hennepin County, Minnesota
Cause of death: complications from bowel cancer.

Her headstone at Fort Snelling Cemetery says “WIFE OF RM1 ROY A. SWANSON USN”. RM1 = radioman first class, US Navy.

Jerry, John, Evelyn, Jeff, Jim, Roy
Evelyn and Roy at Roy’s retirement party

At the cabin

Sophia Rush née Gable

Sophia Gable, ca. 1892–1951

Minnesota State Census Index
Gable, Sophia
Census ID: 1709477
Census Year: 1895
Census Location: St Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Age: 3, Gender: Female, Ethnicity: White, Birthplace: Minnesota

Death Certificate Index
Rush, Sophia M.
Death: August 28, 1951
County of Death: Hennepin County, Minnesota

Frank W. Rush (1892-1969) and Sophia M. Rush neé Gable (1892-1951)

Sophia had at least six siblings: Elizabeth (Kuduk), Angela (Waite), Cecilia (Schmidt), Martha, Jerome, Edward.

If these are Sophia’s siblings, they were half-sisters:

Kuduk, Elizabeth M.
Death Certificate Number: 1988-MN-007218
Death: March 19, 1988 [this jibes with other information I have]
County of Death: Hennepin County, Minnesota
Mother’s Maiden Name: Przybylowska
Date of Birth: Feb 26 1908
Place of Birth: Minnesota

Schmidt, Cecilia Theresa
Death Certificate Number: 1984-MN-010397
Death: April 3, 1984
County of Death: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Mother’s Maiden Name: Kaufman
Date of Birth: Mar 28 1900
Place of Birth: Minnesota

Theolene Swanson née Moen

Minnesota Historical Society Death Records

Swanson, Theolene M.
Certificate Number: 1962-MN-007453
Death: December 24, 1962
County of Death: Hennepin County, Minnesota
Mother’s Maiden Name: PERUS
Date of Birth: Jun 6 1873
Place of Birth: MINNESOTA

Name spelled “Theoline” on Grant and Roy’s birth records.

Theolene Swanson née Moen

According to an unverified family tree, Theolene was born in Houston, Minnesota. She was married to Abraham David Swanson also of Houston and had five sons, some born in Minnesota and at least two, Richard (Grant) and Russel (Roy), born in Swanson, Saskatchewan.

On Roy’s birth certificate in 1910, her name seems to be spelled Theoline.

Some time after Abraham’s death in 1912, Theolene and other family members moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In front: Theolene Swanson (née Moen) and Roy Albert. Behind: Grant ((1907-1966), Clarence (1904?-1943?), Selmer (1898-1985), Addison Telford (1902-1989)
Isabel & Mother (Theolene) | Clossett Print
Theolene, Roy, Clarence ?, Telford ? and two children. Minneapolis.
Back: Taken 4/29/28 [?]
Telford and Theolene