Brother Dudley

Loran Swanson    Uncategorized 

I was just a little kid and disliked having to take naps.  Today I was begging for one but my father wasn’t about to be fooled.  We were going to our Sunday School/Church in the afternoon to hear Brother Dudley preach.  My father was quite active in church affairs so there was an obligation for…continue reading »

In the Name of Religion

Loran Swanson    Uncategorized 

Through all of time religion has dictated many peoples’ beliefs and to what lengths they would go to in achieving their dreams and goals. Unfortunately, war is usually a big factor in religion. This was not the case with my more recent ancestors. The reason my family decided to leave Sweden was because of several…continue reading »

The Mulberry Tree’s Ultimate Gift

Loran Swanson    Uncategorized 

One lonely tree was planted in the pasture, about a quarter of a mile from our house. The only water it got was when it rained. While my father not only thought of his family with a garden and orchard near the house, the mulberry tree was planted to provide shade and shelter for the…continue reading »

Walking – a Way of Life

Loran Swanson    Uncategorized 

Walking – a Way of Life It was only a mile to our mailbox to get the mail and two and a half or three miles depending on which school we were attending. Walking was a daily occurrence for most of the year. Gas was eighteen cents a gallon and we each got one pair…continue reading »

Husker Game Day with Grandpa

Loran Swanson    Uncategorized 

Written by: Special guest contributor Alexis Bartek Have you ever been to a Husker game before? Imagine a stadium filled with almost 100,00 people cheering for the beloved Cornhuskers. I was ecstatic to be going to the game, but even more so because I was going with my grandpa. A smile peeked across my face as…continue reading »

Swedes

Loran Swanson    Food 

With the wind blowing snow across our yard, looking out a window that was frost covered about half way up and seeing a heavy gray sky was actually a sign of beautiful things to come. Looking into the kitchen my mother, in her apron, was standing in front of an old black cast iron stove…continue reading »

The Ice House

Loran Swanson    Life 

It was a warm late winter day in 1937, and I was a seven year old boy. Our good neighbors had joined us for a day of harvesting ice for our newly constructed Ice House. No one in our community had refrigerators as they weren’t readily available nor did we have electricity to operate them,…continue reading »

A Broken Heart

Loran Swanson    Life 

The death certificate showed the cause of death to be a stroke. Life began in 1874 in Sweden. In 1878 my grandfather returned from a church meeting and informed his wife to pack up their belongings. They were moving to another country where they could have religious freedom. With no room for negotiation Grandma Christina…continue reading »

Only to be able to Smile Again (Part Three)

Loran Swanson    Uncategorized 

To be Able to Smile Again (part 3) New York and the sight of land was so welcome, a place to lose the sea legs and relax momentarily if you can call going through customs relaxing. With four little children in tow and even though their belongings were few, getting to the train station for…continue reading »

Hey, Coach!

Loran Swanson    Uncategorized 

Hey, Coach!!! World War II had just ended and many servicemen, after being honorably discharged, entered the teaching profession. Lt. Roy DeSelms was one of them. He had served as a pilot on B-17 bombers in the 487th Bomb Group and had been hired to teach math and social studies at Sargent High School. He…continue reading »