Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 271918
Title: Mary L. Swenningson
Date: 3/12/1939-1/13/2021
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 3/12/1939
Summary: Mary L. Swenningson, 81, New Town, ND, passed away January 13, 2021, at her daughter Linda and son-in-law Adrian Belstad’s residence in New Town. Her private graveside service was held January 20, 2021, at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery at Mandan, ND. Pastor Sarah Sorenson officiated. Mary Louise Nelson was born March 12, 1939, in Breckenridge, MN, to Mary Louise Nelson. They lived on a farm located eight miles north of Stanley, ND, until moving to Flaxton, ND, where Mary found work as a housekeeper on a farm of Charles Ragnell. It was while working there that she met her future husband, Chris J. Christensen. Then moved to the farm in 1944 to become their housekeeper. Mary’s parents got married November 11, 1945. Mary Lou attended a one-room country school in Richland #2 from grades 1-8, then graduated in Burke County courthouse in Bowbells, ND, in May of 1953 and was the last student to graduate from there. She then attended high school in Flaxton for two years, then transferred to Stanley where she graduated in May of 1957! In June of 1957 Mary Lou join the Women’s Army Corps at Fargo, ND. She was sent to Fort McClelland Alabama for basic training, then to Fort Sam Houston Texas for medical training, then to Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, CO, to work as a medic. On December 1958 Mary Lou went to Heidelberg, Germany to work in station hospital. While there she met George Firth O’Brien of Philadelphia, PA. They married and their twin daughters, Linda Marie and Laura Kay, were born in Heidelberg on November 14, 1961. Mary Lou was discharged then from the Women’s Army Corps in 1961. In May of 1962 they moved to Ft. Riley, Kansas. While living there, their sons, John Patrick was born in 1963 and then James Christopher in 1964 was born. In 1965, Mary Lou and her children moved to Flaxton, and lived on the farm while George was serving in Vietnam. In 1966, they moved to Munich, Germany, and in 1968 moved to Philadelphia, PA. Mary Lou and children then moved back to Stanley, in November 1972 and the couple divorced March 1973. In August 1973, Mary Lou began working at Mountrail County Sheriff’s Department as a dispatcher for Sheriff Ralph Hamre and in 1998 dispatched for Sheriff Ken Halvorson untill 2002. There were a lot more changes throughout those years but that is a whole other story by itself! In April 1979, Mary Lou married Rickey Loren Swenningson in Stanley where they continued to raise their children and living a great life with one another. Mary Lou enjoyed spending time with family and friends….especially her time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren that kept her going! She loved sharing stories and of course we all can’t forget all the things she taught us throughout her life. She loved reading books and also reading to her great-grandchildren, Mary had a mind that was always solving problems and mysteries and loved working on family genealogy. She was a very tough woman and didn’t take any crap from anyone…..She was always straight to the point! She was the rock to many people! We will all miss the short phone call visits to always check in! We all know she is at peace now with the ones she loved the most! This ends the saga of Mary Lou for now! Mary Lou is survived by daughters, Linda Marie Belstad (Adrian), New Town, ND and Laura Kay Norton (Rocky), Watford City, ND; son, John Patrick O’Brien (Annette), Ogden, UT; seeven grandchildren, Rodney O’Brien, Minot, ND, Justin Norton (Krystal), Rock Springs, WY, Tina Leppell (Wesley), Keene ND, Savannah Norton, Williston, ND, Adriana Fladeland (Rocky), of Ross, ND, Hazel Belstad (Willy), St. Regis, MT, Jordan Norton (Mariah), Watford City; three Mexican granddaughters, Brissa, Lluvia, and Andrea; 13 great-grandchildren, Jake, Kellie, Eli, Jasiah, Ayla, McKenley, Maleah, Justice, Jace, Zander, Ella, Jaelynn and Nala; stepdaughters, Glenda, Sonya, Shawn and Barb, and many more; stepson, Pepi and Jerry Clark (Cindy), a special family friend that continued to help out throughout the years! She was preceded in death by her husband, Ricky Swenningson; mother, Mary Christensen and father, Chris J. Christensen; son, James O’Brien; and many more family and friends!
Red ID: FND_I_79412 Image ID: 539972 Image Notes: FND001 271918

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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