Ole and Inga Swore, Ole's second wife

Life of Cever Nicklaus Swore

My grandfather, and father of Lina Swore Olson

Cever Nicklos Swore was born May 1, 1887, in Camp Lake Township, Swift County, MN. His parents wereOle Andreas (born March 30, 1850, in Hornindal, Nordfjord, Norway, and died June 27, 1933 at Osakis, MN) and Nikolena (Nicolina) Larson Swore (b. 1853 in Norway, died March 24, 1897, in Minnesota ). Ole Andreas’ parents were Ole Rasmuson (aka Rasmuss, Rasmussen) and Ragnild (aka Ragnilde) Maria Nygaard (7/18/1821 - 05/06/1902). There are conflicting dates of birth for Ole Rasmuson, with some records showing 3 December 1815, and some showing 15 November 1814. His gravestone shows a date of birth of 1816. Ole Rasmuson died 11 November, 1889, and both he and Ragnilde are buried in St. Pauli’s Norwegian Lutheran Church Cemetery, two miles south of Swift Falls, MN on County Road 31.

Ole Andreas’ grandparents were Rasmus A. (1778-1838 or 1839) and Ingelborg Grodas(1780 - ?) and his great-grandparents were Arne Rasmus (1746-1813) and Laurentse Grodas (aka Lokris Kristoffersdatter Grodås) (10/29/1752 - 1786) Svor. After Laurentse died, Arne married Synneve Johannesdatter in 1800. Synneve was born in Hornindal, Norway in 1756 and died there in 1827. The last name was originally spelled Svor. Some of the family later changed the spelling to Swor, and some further changed the spelling of the name to Swore.

Immigration records show that Ole Rasmussen and Ragnild departed from Bergen, Norway aboard the Ship Argo on May 14, 1871, together with Ole Andreas. The ship arrived in Quebec, Canada June 16, 1871. The passenger lists also record a Ole Andersen Svor, age 22, and an Anne Svor, age 9, both with the residence of Hornindal. We have not been able to determine the relationship, if any, to Ole Rasmussen and Ragnild.

A story in the Svor History written by Kyla Vickstrom tells of Ole Rasmuson and Ragnilde initially living in the rural Benson, MN area, where Ole worked on the railroad for the first two years. At that time, the local area was wild--no houses, no roads, but a railroad was being built going west from Benson to Tinta, MN. People were streaming there to settle. After working on the railroad for two years, Ole homesteaded 120 acres and built a dug-out hut in which to live. A dugout was simply a hole dug into a hillside, the walls were lined with oak posts or rails, and sod was used on the roof and on the open side of the hut. Ole R. received a homestead grant May 20, 1882, for the 120 acres in Swift County, MN (see Homestead Grant section). In 1885 Ole and his family built a house out of lumber, the first in the area to build a house of sawed lumber, although some log houses had previously been built.

Ole Andreas married Nikolina Larson at Benson, MN in 1873. Ole became a citizen in 1881, and the family moved to Leslie Township in Todd County, MN in the spring of 1891 (see 1914 Leslie Township plat map). Ole was a carpenter as well as a farmer and built many houses. He also loved to play the piano. The Svor Family History book says that when Nikolena died, Ole sent to Norway for a wife, and that’s when Inga Carlson (3/08/1860 - 12/20/1931) came into his life. Ole and Inga married and had one daughter, Carrie (1900 - 1977). Ole and Nikolena are buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, rural Clotho, MN. Ole’s grave marker shows his date of birth as 1849, but we have confirmed through records in Norway that his date of birth was March 30, 1850. Inga is buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Osakis, MN.

The children of Ole Andreas and Nikolena were:
Ragnhild (Rachael O.) (1874 - 1955)
Ole, Jr. - (2/171876 - 5/27/1937)
Louis (Lewis) born in 1877 in Camp Lake Township and died in 1932, Osakis, MN

Julianne (1881 - 1970)
Rasmine (Minnie) born May 12, 1883 in Swift County, died Jan 12, 1980 in Todd County, buried in Lakeside Cemetery in Osakis, MN.  Married Gustav (Gust) Wickert Johnson (Mar 22, 1872 - July 23, 1957).  Albert, one of the sons of Minnie and Gust, lived in Saskatchewan Canada and farmed with his brother, August.  Albert created a stone wall, referred to as the Great Wall of Saskatchewan.  Google Great Wall of Saskatchewan.  
Cever (May 01, 1887 - July 20, 1947) Born in Camp Lake Township
Emma Regena - March 03, 1890 - April 08, 1973 per Todd County Courthouse records
Nellie (March 15, 1892 - April 02, 1919), born in Osakis, MN; died in Todd County.  Buried next to husband, Hugo Dohman, in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, rural Clotho, Todd County, MN.
Carl O. - Todd County Courthouse records show date of birth as March 21, 1895; death certificate show DOB as March 22, 1895. Died July 26, 1964 in Aitkin County.
Sarah - Todd County Courthouse records show Sarah’s name as Sares. Her date of birth is listed as March 20, 1897, and her date of death as Sept. 10, 1897.

It is also written in the Swore history that Ole also had two children, Julias and Iscaca, who died in infancy. We have not found any records for them.

Ole and Inga had one daughter, Carrie (4/091900 - 9/27/1977) who married Arthur Leven. They had seven children.

Cever went to school in the Todd County area, and he was confirmed in Emus Lutheran Church in Osakis in March 1901. On September 9, 1905, Cever married Catherine Louise “Kate” Dohman, and they farmed in Todd County. Their children were:

Raymond (11/01/1905-11/16/1905). Death certificate reads 1905, but gravestone states 1906. Buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, rural Clotho, MN and shares a gravestone with sister Zephers.

Edna Angeline (11/10/1906-1/27/1984). Married Ernest Sibell and they farmed north of Osakis. Edna and Ernie had four children: Helen, Reuben, Jane, and Wallace. Edna and Ernie are both buried in Osakis Lakeside Cemetery.

Lina Margaret (8/7/1908 - 5/15/2004). See separate history.

Zephers Louise (8/23/1910-5/29/1911). Died of whooping cough. Gravestone reads that Zephers was born Aug 23, 1911 and died March 28, 1912, but Todd County Courthouse records state DOB as Aug. 7, 1910 and DOD as May 29, 1911. Lina Swore Olson also listed Zephers’ birthday as August 23, 1910 in her papers. We believe her correct date of birth to be Aug 23, 1910. Zephers’ name is written as Zephyer Sware and her father as Sever Sware in Todd County records. Zephers and brother Raymond share a common gravestone in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, rural Clotho, MN.

Oscar Cever 4/5/1912 - 5/23/1987). Married Mabel Trisco and they had four children, Dick, Delores, Gary, and Karen. Oscar and Mabel lived most of their lives in Morris, Ill and are buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Morris. Dick died from cancer in Port Charlotte, FL March 2, 2014.

Donald Hugo (1/13/1918 - 8/8/1974) Married Millie Black on August 15, 1937, and they had two children, Alan L. and Jerald Don. Don and Millie lived in Salt Lake City, UT and are buried in Elysian Burial Gardens, Millcreek, Salt Lake County, UT. Donald assumed the last name of Anderson

Cever and Catherine divorced, and on March 11, 1921, Cever married Marie Magalena (Lena) Dohman (6/17/1896 - 1/13/1973) Catherine’s sister. Cever and Lena had seven children:

Lloyd Harvey (11/10/1921 - 12/18/2019). Married Viola Mae Bullock on January 26, 1946, and they lived their married life in Pocatello, ID. Lloyd and Viola had four children: Jerry Lloyd, Steven Eugene, Timothy Cever, and Jennifer Irene. Viola died March 12, 2011 and is buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Pocatello, ID. Steven died April 24, 2013, and is also buried in Mountain View Cemetery.  Lloyd died December 18, 2019 at the age of 98.  He is buried next to Viola in Mountain View Cemetery, Pocatello.  

Ralph Calvin (4/24/1925 - 4/10/2010). Married Marjorie Kallstrom May 7, 1949, and they had five children, three of whom died as infants, and son, James, who died November 4, 2012, at age 63. Their daughter, Suzzette, lives in Osakis. Ralph and Marjorie lived all their lives in the Osakis area. Ralph is buried in West Evergreen Cemetery, Osakis, MN

Donald Clarence and Darald Sever, twins born prematurely March 6, 1928, and died the same day; Donald lived two hours and Darald lived nine hours. Per Lina Swore Olson’s writings, Donald and Darald are buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Osakis, MN. However, City Hall does not list the babies in their burial records, and we have not been able to find any burial records for them.

Erna Louise (11/29/1930 - 05/16/2000) married Ervin Thomas on November 22, 1952, in Rockford, Ill. They had four children: Ronald, Donald, Debra, and Shelly. Donald died August 23, 1980, and Ervin died July 20, 2000. Erna and Ervin lived in Rockford, Ill, and are buried there in Willwood Burial Park.

Mavis Adeline (4/18/1933-6/30/2009) married Levi Nelson (died 4/09/2013) and they had four children, Mike, Rick, Jeff, and Robbie. Michael died October 27, 1959 in Phoenix, Arizona. Mavis and Levi lived in Alexandria, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.

Melvin (11/20/1936 -10/19/2003). Melvin was married to Janet and they had two children,  Micky and Tammy. Melvin and Janet later divorced.  Melvin lived for a time in Rockford, Ill and later returned to the Osakis area where he was living at the time of his death. Melvin is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery, Osakis, MN as is Micky’s daughter, Melody Jean Swor.

According to Cever’s son Lloyd Swore, Cever was quite a fiddler and even made his own violins. Cever helped to build and roof barns and also worked on the railroad. Perhaps his love of music and carpentry skills came from his father. On July 20, 1947, Cever was hit by a train in Osakis and killed. He and Lena are buried in the Lakeside Cemetery, Osakis. Lena’s gravestone reads Lena V. Swore.

See also histories of Catherine Dohman Swore Anderson and Lina Swore Olson. In addition, a Swore Family History from 1746 - 1986 was written some time ago (author unknown), updated by Kyla Vickstrom and reprinted in 1992.

Ole Andreas Swore

Cever Nicklaus Swore

Judy Alcott