LuJean Ann Swenson

LuJean Ann Swenson Age 93, Chanhassen, MN formerly of Fargo, ND, (and Edina, MN and Brookings, SD) passed away on April 18, 2024. Preceded in death by parents Benjamin and Berthine Ness; brother, Clayton Ness; two grandsons, Andy Karlsson Swenson and Benjamin Daniel Swenson, and husband, Roger Emmett. Survived by sons, Jan Mark of Fargo ND; Melvin Daniel (Lisa), Brooklyn Park, MN; daughter Solvei Wilmot (Todd), Chanhassen, MN; grandsons Mike Swenson (Alesha); Luther and Sam Wilmot; great grandson Colton Swenson and other relatives. Memorial Service will be held at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church west campus,7150 Rolling Acres Rd, Victoria, MN 55331, May 6, 12pm. Visitation one hour prior to service. Lunch served after the service. LuJean was born December 5, 1930, on a farm in Bruce, SD. She was the oldest child of Benjamin L. Ness and Berthine R. (Iverson) Ness. She had one sibling, her younger brother Clayton. She attended country school with her cousins until 9th grade. In order to attend High School in Brookings, she stayed during the weekdays in town at Solveig Olson's. There were no school buses to bring the children into town every day. After High School, LuJean attended college Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD. (Her mom graduated from the same college but it was called Augustana Lutheran Normal School for teachers. Her daughter, Solvei, also graduated from Augustana College). She enjoyed singing in the choir and was a soloist featured on the Sioux Falls radio broadcasts. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in education. After college, a group of college friends took teaching jobs in California. LuJean taught a couple of years in an elementary school outside Los Angeles and then returned to the Midwest. She moved in with her cousin Olive in St. Paul. Olive's brother LeRoy was a good friend of Roger's at Concordia College. LeRoy set them up on a blind date - which almost didn't happen because LuJean was late getting home from school, then made Roger wait on the front step an hour while she got ready for the date. After Roger completed college, they were married in Toronto, SD, August 25, 1956. They moved into an apartment above a drug store in St. Paul. Roger attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul and LuJean continued to teach full-time until she was pregnant with their first child. Roger's Internship for the ministry was in Wahpeton, ND which coincided with LuJean's due date. As a result, LuJean stayed with her parents in Brookings, SD while Roger started his internship. Jan Mark was born in Brookings, SD. LuJean and baby joined Roger in Wahpeton shortly after. Once Roger was ordained, he took a job with Concordia College and they moved into a house in Moorhead, MN. Solvei Marie was born a few years later. Concordia College sent Roger to work in Los Angels, CA for an extended period. LuJean and the family packed and moved to an apartment in Los Angeles, California to be with Roger. Once that job was completed, the family moved back to Moorhead, where Melvin Daniel was born. Family life was the center of LuJean's activities while they lived in Moorhead. She enjoyed teaching her children, watching them change and grow. She took them to piano lessons - because she loved music; swimming lessons, because she never learned how to swim; skating lessons and hockey - because it's something to do in the winter. She hosted meals for friends. She travelled from Moorhead to Clinton, MN, to Brookings, SD, back to Moorhead several times a year to bring the kids to see the Grandparents. She was active in Trinity Lutheran Church's Circles and the Concordia College activities. She moved again when Roger accepted a job with Fairview Health Systems in Minneapolis, MN. They moved to Edina, MN. LuJean joined service organizations, served Meals on Wheels, worked part-time for the new Edinborough (indoor) Park in Edina. She was involved in church activities. She taught English as a second language to new immigrants. Roger and LuJean enjoyed the Minnesota Orchestra and the Concordia College Christmas concerts. They took several trips to foreign countries. After many years in Edina, they moved to Jamestown, ND where Roger completed his career with Anne Carlson School. They then moved to Fargo, ND and stayed there in the summer and had a place in Sun City, AZ in the winter. LuJean always enjoyed family visits and looked forward to the holidays. She hosted Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving by inviting her adult children to come and then direct them to assist with cleaning, decorating, cooking, cleaning, serving, and cleaning. She was always happy to baby-sit the grand kids while the parents went out for a night. However, when the travel to AZ was too challenging and the winters too long in Fargo, they sold their home and moved to Chanhassen, MN to be closer to family in the Twin Cities area. LuJean felt that everyone she met was a gift. She did not want to "put you out" or make it "out of your way". The good in her came from a deep faith and a true understanding that we are given peace because our abiding life is not on this earth but in Heaven. Memorials may be given to: Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/resources/get-sober-smn Children's Cancer Research https://childrenscancer.org/donate/?gclid=CjwKCAjwxLKxBhA7EiwAXO0R0Eye0389l5TXZC2e0sZW1NPTFNXiY1KoQxsXg6iRShOMHOfVdFSi9RoCU68QAvD_BwE Augustana University https://www.augie.edu/giving-augustana Mount Olivet Lutheran Church https://onrealm.org/mtolivet/-/form/give/now

Tributes

LuJean Ann Swenson

December 5, 1930 - April 18, 2024

Tributes

LuJean Ann Swenson

December 5, 1930 - April 18, 2024

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