Agnes Irene Swenson

June 1, 1915 - August 15, 2015

Agnes Irene Swenson, age 100, of Spring Grove, died Sat. Aug. 15, 2015 at Gundersen Tweeten Care Center in Spring Grove. She was born June 1, 1915, on Goose Island in Decorah, IA in a small house on Monroe Street, to John Peander and Inga Cornelia (Storlie) Rud. She was a lifelong Iowa and Minnesota resident. Agnes was a Spring Grove High School Graduate, and received her teaching certificate after studying at Luther College in Decorah, IA She taught at several schools, including the Stone Church School (Cabbage Ridge #86), Waterloo Ridge School, and Highland School (Bekken School). In Hesper, Iowa she taught Kindergarten, Psy Ed and Music. The school later burned. Agnes returned to school and received her B.A. Degree from Winona State University, going on to teach first grade at Spring Grove Public Elementary for thirteen years. Agnes retired from teaching in 1982. On August 18, 1937, Agnes married Peter Kermit Swenson at Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church. The couple farmed for many years. Agnes worked alongside her husband operating many pieces of farm equipment. The couple retired from farming and moved to Spring Grove in 1983. Peter preceded Agnes in death in August of 1991. Agnes was a member of Waterloo Ridge Lutheran Church, where she was the church organist from 1953- 2003. She was also very active in Waterloo Ridge’s women’s groups. Agnes is survived by her daughters,Linda Kjome Gjerdrum of Mabel, MN and Lois (Jim) Tollefsrud of Dorchester, IA Her grandchildren Peter (Kristen) Kjome, Kristin Kjome (and husband Jonathan Fischer), Kari Kjome and Catherine Kjome, Mikal (Shannon) Tollefsrud, and Kelly (Bryan) Wood Her great-grandchildren Klara and Elinor Kjome Fischer, Erik and Jacob Tollefsrud, and Elsa, Henry and Cora Wood. Her sister-in-law, Shirley Swenson of Spring Grove, her double cousins, Eleanor Rud and Evelyn Atherton, and several nieces and nephews, and her faithful companion, her cat Grey Puss. In addition to her parents and her husband Peter, she was preceded in death by her son-in-law Don Gjerdrum, her sister and brother-in-law, Margaret and Leslie Glasrud, her niece Camilla Crawford and her nephew Robert Glasrud.