Lina Margaret Swore Olson
(Wife of Herbert Olson and My Mother)
Originally written by Lina and Updated by Judy Olson Alcott

Lina Margaret Swore - about age 15

The following was written by Lina:

I was born August 7, 1908 in Leslie Township, Todd County, MN to Cever Nicklaus and Catherine Louise Dohmen (also spelled Dohman) Swore. At that time the family lived at the north end of Lake Osakis. I was baptized in the Lutheran faith on September 12, 1908, also in Leslie Township, and my sister, Edna and I were both confirmed in the Danish Lutheran Church in Osakis, MN on June 17, 1923.

Dad and Mother lost their firstborn son, Raymond, who died at 10 days of age on November 1, 1905. (Note: Raymond’s death certificate states he died November 16, 1905 and his gravestone lists DOB as Nov. 1, 1906, DOD Nov. 16, 1906.) My older sister, Edna Angeline, was born November 10, 1906. My sister Zephers Louise was born August 23, 1910 and died from whooping cough February 1911. (Note: Zephers’ grave stone reads DOB August 23, 1911, DOD May 28, 1912.) Oscar Cever was born April 5, 1912 and died in Morris, Ill May 23, 1987. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery there. Donald Hugo was born January 13, 1918 and died August 8, 1974. (Note: There is a discrepancy about Donald’s birthdate. Minnesota birth records list Donald’s date of birth as January 13, 1918, and Social Security records list his date of birth as January 13, 1917.) Donald died in Salt Lake City, Utah and is buried in Elysian Burial Gardens, Millcreek, Salt Lake County, UT.  (See also photos and information on the Nels Anderson and Anderson Family Photos pages.)

When Cever and Kate (as she was known) separated we moved in with Grandpa and Grandma Dohmen, mom’s parents. I was in second grade and my older sister, Edna, and I went to District 144 School in rural Osakis.

Later my mother moved to Osakis and worked at whatever was available: wall papering, clothes washing, house cleaning, or any other kinds of jobs. We girls had to help by picking up and delivering washing to customers, staying home and babysitting brother Oscar, or we went with Mom if she had a night job.

I stayed a lot with my aunts and uncles in the country. I had small jobs on Saturdays or after school hours as well as in the summers. As I got older I stayed with my dad on the farm south of Osakis. I helped milk cows, and I had to walk to school. In 1923 when I was going to confirmation, I could drive the horse and buggy to town. The horse was a little roan mare named Bonnie. After standing all day at church or at school, Bonnie was pretty frisky when I got into the buggy. It would be 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. when I got home, so the wheels really rolled!

We children also went to school in Nelson for a few years. I rode the horse-drawn school bus when I was in fifth and sixth grades. Later we moved back to Osakis where I finished the seventh and eighth grades. I did not go to high school.

My Mother married Nels Anderson June 11, 1920, and I got another brother, Delmar, (May 19, 1927 - July 6, 2007), and one sister, Evelyn (March 4, 1921 - July 18, 1999). Delmar lived most of his adult life in California, and Evelyn lived a good portion of her life in Minneapolis.

My dad married Marie Magalena (Lena) Dohman, Mom’s sister, in 1922, and they had seven children: Lloyd Harvey (Nov. 10, 1921) Ralph Calvin (April 24, 1925 - April 10, 2010) twins Donald Clarence and Darald Sever, born prematurely March 6, 1928 and died the same day, Erna Louise (November 29, 1930 - May 16, 2000) Mavis Adeline (April 18, 1933 - June 30, 2009) and Melvin (November 20, 1936 - October 19, 2003).

Lloyd has lived most of his adult life in Pocatello, Idaho, Ralph lived and died in Osakis, Erna lived in Rockford, Ill, Mavis in Las Vegas, and Melvin lived in both Illinois and Minnesota.

After I finished eighth grade I worked in a hotel and restaurant and for various farm families. I also worked for my sister, Edna, on her and her husband’s farm.

I met Herbert Melvin Olson in the spring of 1929 when I went to work for his uncle, Arvid Bergstrom (a brother of Herbert’s mother, Hanna) in Belle River Township. Herbert was living with his parent’s on their farm north of Nelson, but was renting land adjoining Arvid’s farm. Herbert and I were married on September 5, 1929 at the parsonage in Osakis by Pastor H.P. Anderson. Herbert’s uncle Rengner Bergstrom and his mother Hanna’s cousin Selma Sibell were our witnesses. We had our wedding dinner in St. Cloud and spent our honeymoon at the State Fair in St. Paul, with two nights at a hotel in Minneapolis. When we returned home the house was dark. We opened the door and a big bunch of people jumped up to surprise us, and the shivaree began both in and out of the house! (A shivaree was a noisy mock serenade with kettles, pans, horns, and noisemakers for newly married people given by friends and family.) A second shivaree was held another night. Thanks to help from our family, Herbert and I celebrated our 25th, 40th, and 50th anniversaries and Herbert’s 80th birthday with big parties.

We lived with Herbert’s parents until April 1932, when we then moved to the farm with Herbert’s uncle Arvid Bergstrom, who had 80 acres of land . Arvid’s brother, Rengner had 80 acres of land adjoining Arvid’s property, and we rented that also. We raised small grain, corn, pigs, chickens, and cows. We farmed with horses until we got our first tractor in about 1940 or 41--a Farmall with steel wheels.

In addition to the 160 acres of land we rented from Arvid and Rengner, we rented another farm south of our property from Victor Fadden. We also milked 16 cows, so things were going pretty good. In 1946 Arvid was about to lose his farm, so we mortgaged our things and bought his 80 acres. By that time we were awaiting our ninth baby, due in August. Arlos was already married and living away from home.

We bought our fourth tractor and also a hay baler, combine and had (we thought) quite a bit of machinery! We traded in some of the tractors to buy other ones. I raised lots of chickens and sold eggs and old hens, ready for the freezer. We graded and candled all of our eggs.

We went to Fahlun Lutheran Church north of Nelson. All of the kids were baptized and confirmed there except Arlos. She was confirmed in Osakis because Fahlun only had a lay pastor at that time, so four of the kids from Fahlun had to be confirmed by Pastor Thronson. Arlos also went to high school in Osakis for one year, worked in town, then went to Minneapolis to work. The boys went to Morris Agricultural School in Morris, MN, and all of the rest of the girls graduated from Alexandria High School.

Herbert and I traveled with neighbors and relatives from time to time and visited California, Salt Lake City, Texas, Illinois, and Washington State. I also visited Norkfolk, VA with Arlos to see grandson Douglas and family when he was in the Navy and stationed there, and travelled to New Mexico to stay with Marlou and her family when she had surgery.

In August 1978 Herbert and I decided to sell the farm to our youngest son, Marlin. We had a life estate and could live on the farm as long as we wanted to do so. In 1982 we bought a house in Osakis and we were preparing for a farm auction to be held October 9. Herbert had a heart attack on September 21 and was still in the hospital the day of the auction. He suffered a second heart attack and died October 12, 1982.

I moved to the house in Osakis on October 31, 1982, then sold that house to Marlou and John in February 1989. At that time I moved into the DeCann Apartments in Osakis.

I think the Lord has been good to us. We worked hard for all we had, and never really had a vacation until we had been married 38 years. We never had any bad sickness or accidents in the family.

See also histories of Herbert Olson, Catherine Dohman Swore Anderson, and Cever Swore.

Children of Herbert and Lina:

Arlos Carol, born September 1, 1927. Married Ambrose Spieker November 5, 1946, and they had six children: Douglas Ambrose (09/02/1948), Derald Lee (02/13/1950), Donald Michael (03/26/1952), Debra Jean (09/04/1953), Denise Rae (12/15/1955), and Diane Renae (12/11/1965). Ambrose died July 31, 1981, and Arlos married Karl Mattson on January 2, 1988. Karl died March 17, 2012. Arlos died July 21, 2015.  Donald Michael died December 1, 2015.  All lived in Moorhead, MN when they died.  Ambrose, Karl, Arlos and Donald are all buried in St.Joseph’s Cemetery, Moorhead, MN.

DeLyle Herbert, born May 4, 1930. Married to Viola Okerlund at Falhun Lutheran Church, rural Nelson, MN, whom he later divorced. DeLyle and Vi had four children: Daniel DeLyle (10/05/1955), Randell Herbert (4/16/1958), Cynthia Ann (03/05/1957), and Susan Marie (01/31/1962). DeLyle died of cancer March 26, 1997, and is buried in Fahlun Cemetery.

Marlin Loyle, born November 4, 1931. Marlin married Tootie (Dorothy) Englehardt May 29, 1954, at Fahlun Lutheran Church, rural Nelson, MN. They had four children: Russell Scott (4/30/1955), Sandra Carlyne (03/23/1959), Jerald Marlin7/19/1960), and Steven Jon (01/21/1963). Steven died August 17, 1985, in Wisconsin, and Marlin died of cancer December 16, 2008, in Osakis, MN. Tootie died February 26, 2018.  Steven and Marlin and Tootie's ashes are all buried in Fahlun Cemetery, rural Nelson, MN.

Gwendolyn Margaret, born September 21, 1933, married Theodore (Ted) Jesinoski on June 30, 1951 in Fahlun Lutheran Church, rural Nelson, MN. They had six children: Larry Dean (10/18/1951), Steven Allen (9/16/1954 and died shortly after birth), Craig Allen (10/08/1955), Sherri Lynne (12/09/1957), Paula Elizabeth (11/12/1958, died shortly after birth), and Karla Rae (6/28/1963). Ted died September 12, 2011, in St. Paul, MN. Gwen died battling cancer May 17, 2017.  Gwen, Ted, Steven, and Paula are all buried in Fahlun Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Marlou Ethelyn, born March 8, 1936, and married Leland Loeffler October 4, 1954, in St. Nicholas Church, Belle River, MN, Douglas County. Marlou and Leland had six children: Robert Leland (3/15/1955), Richard Dale (3/09/1956), Donna Marie (05/29/1957), Thomas William (6/12/1959), Lori Ann (4/14/1962), and James Melvin (6/27/1963). Marlou and Leland divorced in 1970 while living in Iowa, and Marlou married John Tingle August 21, 1971 at Fahlun Lutheran Church, rural Nelson. John died of cancer April 10, 2011, and Marlou died of cancer July 6, 2021.  They are buried in Runnels Cemetery, Runnels, Iowa.

Doreen Louise, born February 28, 1939, and married Jerome Lentz October 18, 1957, St. Paul's Catholic Church, Sauk Centre, Sterns County, MN. They had three children: Julie Katheran (03/22/1959), Linda Margaret (8/13/1962), and Brian Chris (03/03/1964). Linda was killed in a car accident April 11, 1993, in rural Sauk Centre, MN, Stearns County.  Jerome died January 31, 2003, in Sauk Centre, MN, Stearns County. Jerome and Linda are both buried in St. Paul’s Cemetery, Sauk Centre, MN.

Wanda Dale, born December 28, 1940, and married Orville Thun February 18, 1961 in Zion Lutheran Church, Alexandria, MN, Douglas County. Wanda and Orv had two children: Pamela Kay (02/10/1962) and Bruce Orville (11/17/1966), both born in Alexandria, MN.  Orville died October 22, 2015 in Alexandria, MN and is buried in Kincaid Cemetery, Alexandria, MN.

Judith Carolyn, born September 15, 1944, married Dean Alcott June 27, 1964, in Fahlun Lutheran Church, rural Nelson, MN, Douglas County. Judy and Dean had two children: Jason Emery (07/14/1969) and Karin Linnea (05/05/1973), both born in New Hope, MN, Hennepin County. Judy and Dean divorced in 1987 in Alexandria, MN, Douglas County.

Bonita Linnea, born August 10, 1946, and married John Gibson July 15, 1967 in Fahlun Lutheran Church, rural Nelson, MN, Douglas County. Bonnie and John had two children: Melissa Kay (12/03/1969), born in Anoka County, MN,  and Matthew Ronald (04/19/1973), born in Alexandria, MN, Douglas County . Bonnie and John divorced in 1984 while living in Monticello, MN, Wright County.

Addendum by Judy Alcott

When Mom lived in the home in Osakis that she and Dad purchased before his death, she remained very active--mowing her own yard, shoveling her driveway, participating in services and events at Fahlun Church, etc.. And never one to drive if not necessary, she walked throughout the town to visit friends, shop, and get her mail. About 1988 Mom contracted the disease of Shingles on the right side of her face and head. Visits to many doctors, including the Mayo Clinic, could not rid her of the disease, and she suffered from the effects of it the rest of her life.  In 2002 Mom moved from the DeCann Apartments to the assisted living facility in Osakis. Mom died May 15, 2004, just a few months shy of her 96th birthday. At the time of Mom’s death, she had 31 grandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren, and 23 great-great grandchildren 

Siblings Edna, Oscar, Lina - 1912

Edina (L) and Lina (R) Swore - 1909

One school Lina attended as a child.  Leslie Township, rural Osakis, MN.  Now the Leslie Town Hall

Edna, Rosella Tanberg, Alice Jung, Lina - Confirmation June 17, 1923

Judy Alcott