Obituary of Doris G. Swenson

Doris G. Swenson, 94, passed away February 13, 2023 at her hillside home outside of Lindsborg. Doris was born February 28, 1928 in rural Rindal, Minnesota, the youngest of four children to Richard and Anna Krogstad. Doris attended a one-room country schoolhouse 1 ½ miles from her home through eighth grade, high school in Crookston, MN, and graduated from the Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis, MN in 1948. While in Minneapolis, she worked at the Augsburg Publishing House, and then was employed as a parish worker in Albert Lea, MN. Doris married Edgar Swenson on April 22, 1956 in Rindal, Minnesota. After living four years in Salina, Kansas, they moved to a farm northwest of the Salemsborg Church, where they farmed and raised their family until moving to Lindsborg in 1990. In the fall of 2019, Doris became a “country girl” again when she moved in with her daughter and son-in-law until her death. God was truly the center of Doris’s life, and she shared her faith with countless youth through a lifetime of teaching. She started teaching Sunday School when she was barely out of confirmation, and continued well into her 80’s, saying “there’s still so much for me to learn”. She also taught VBS, Confirmation classes, and Lindsborg’s Weekday Church School. She found joy in music, and shared that joy by directing the Salemsborg Lutheran Church Choir for 35 years, as well as the children’s choir during the Sunday School hour. She wrote and directed the Sunday School Children’s Christmas program for several years, and directed the musical “Life” for the High School Youth in the 70’s. She was a soprano soloist, singing The King Is Coming for dozens of funerals at Salemsborg. She enjoyed singing Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Bethany Oratorio Society. After the death of her husband, Doris spent her time volunteering at the Red Barn Studio in Lindsborg, the Lindsborg Hospital Auxiliary, and Hospice of Salina. She was active with the Lindsborg Retired Church Workers and many events at the Lindsborg Evangelical Covenant Church including the 55+ group, Missions Interest, and mentoring other women. Doris was a wonderful cook and seamstress. Not very many people know that she was an artist - preferring oil painting, mainly of country scenes and landscapes. She was humble and kind, did not complain, and her family is unable to remember her ever showing outward anger or frustration. She was content. Never thinking that she would live long enough to meet her first great-grandchild, she was delighted every time she got to see all five of them! Doris was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Edgar Swenson; her parents, Richard and Anna Krogstad; and her brothers Earl, Arthur, and Clifford Krogstad. She is survived by her son Keith (Micki) Swenson of Smolan, daughter Nita Kay (Wayne) Carlson of Lindsborg, grandchildren Jason (Michelle) Carlson, Suzanna Swenson, Eric (Yesica) Swenson, Brandon Carlson, Hannah (Elias) Peterson; great-grandchildren Emmett, Vivia, Bekah, Ava, and Abby; sister-in-law Jean Krogstad of Fertile, MN, numerous nieces and nephews, foster-daughter Mary (Justin) Carlson with children Drew, Beth and Amy, and many treasured friends. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday, February 17 at Crick-Christians Funeral Home, 103 N. Washington, Lindsborg. Interment and committal services will be held 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 18, at Salemsborg Lutheran Cemetery, Rural Smolan. Funeral services will follow at 3:00 p.m. at the Lindsborg Evangelical Covenant Church. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Salina, Lindsborg Evangelical Covenant Church, or Salemsborg Lutheran Church. Memorials may be sent in care of Crick-Christians Funeral Home, 103 N. Washington, Lindsborg, KS 67456.