Solveig Mavis Swendseid

Solveig Mavis Swendseid died peacefully on May 31, surrounded by her four daughters. She spent her life following God's two great commandments - to love God with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love her neighbor as herself. Solveig was born November 14, 1928 to Rose (Olson) and Albert Stenerson on their farm near Van Hook, North Dakota. She was baptized in December 1928 and confirmed in May 1943 at Bethany Lutheran Church. She grew up on a grain farm, about ten miles north of Van Hook, where she graduated from High School in May 1946. Solveig earned her bachelors of arts from Concordia College, Moorhead Minnesota, where she met Melvin Douglas Swendseid. The couple married on September 2, 1950 at First Lutheran, Parshall, North Dakota, near the bride's home. Solveig said that she chose Doug for her husband because he respected her. In July 1952, Solveig and Doug accepted a call to missionary service in Japan where they served for 13 years. After returning to the U.S., they served a mission church in California, where Solveig acted as organist and choir director, while also raising her four daughters. In November 1972, the family moved to the Twin Cities of Minnesota where Solveig lived until her death. During this time, she worked in various positions including Executive Secretary, Augsburg College; Office Manager, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church; Administrator, Harriet Tubman Women's Shelter; Coordinator, Cornerstone (Battered Women's Agency); and Director, Women in Mission, An Oral History Project of the American Lutheran Church (ALC). This project gathered and compiled the oral memories of 63 women who served as missionaries of the ALC between 1922 and 1975. Solveig was also an accomplished pianist and taught all of her grandchildren to play. As a result of her many achievements, Solveig was awarded Concordia College's Alumni Achievement Award in 1992. What made Solveig tick? People - she loved talking with strangers, hearing their stories and sharing her own. She loved dogs, especially her beloved companion, Festus, of 18 years. She loved country music - Sunday Morning Coming Down. She loved to "fix things" and make things better, like painting the house inside and out. She read voraciously - war-related history was her favorite. She loved North Dakota - the buttes, the smell of sweet clover along the roads, the open spaces. She loved giving away her money - to family, friends, the church and nonprofit organizations benefiting the environment and the lives of women and children. And she loved the body of Christ, participating in church related activities throughout her life, knowing she was a beloved child of God. Solveig lived in retirement with her husband Doug until his death in 2008. A year later she married her neighbor of 30-plus years, Frank Porter, also widowed, and made a life with him for the next 14 years. Solveig was preceded in death by her husband Douglas; sister Lovila (Krueger); brothers, Gerhard and Roger; and granddaughter, Anna Rose Soleim. She is survived by her husband Frank Porter, daughters Rachel Overton (husband, Bill), Claudia Swendseid (husband, Clark Thurn), Greta Soleim (husband, Jim), and Kristin Gomez (husband David), ten grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and many other family members and friends. Solveig's memorial service will be held on June 12, 11 AM at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 8400 France Ave. S., Bloomington, MN. Visitation begins at 10 AM. A luncheon reception will follow the service. Memorial gifts are preferred to Badland Ministries, Concordia College (Swendseid Scholar's Fund), or Solid Ground Minnesota.

Tributes

Solveig Mavis Swendseid

November 14, 1928 - May 31, 2024

Tributes

Solveig Mavis Swendseid

November 14, 1928 - May 31, 2024

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