| Notes |
- Edgar Swanson was born in Batavia, Illinois. As a young boy, he lived on the McChesney farm on McChesney Road east of Batavia. When Edgar was 15, he worked at the Cable Piano Factory in St. Charles. He earned 17 1/2 cents an hour putting strings on the pianos. But he only worked there through the winter, because when spring arrived, he longed to work outside. In April 1913, he and his family moved to a farm near Beltrami, Minnesota. Edgar didn't like it there, so he spent most of his time in Crookston, the nearest larger town, where he learned to dance. He returned to Kane County, Illinois in the fall of 1916 and his family returned the following March.
Edgar worked and lived for a time on the farm at Mooseheart, a haven for orphans and families who had lost their father, operated by the Loyal Order of Moose. He started earning $40 per month, plus room and board, and worked his way up to $65 when he did the milking. He was working there when his brother Robert came home from the war on Decoration Day. In October of 1918, Edgar received his draft notice, because he had recently turned 21, and they were drafting men between 21 and 46. He took a physical at the Court House in Geneva, and received a letter stating that he should be ready to go to war with 10 days notice. He later received a notice stating that he should be ready to go any day, but then the Armistice was signed, and he didn't hear any more from the draft. While Edgar worked at Mooseheart, he learned some mechanics, which helped him to get jobs as a mechanic later in life.
Freda Nagel was born in Chicago but moved to St. Charles as a young girl. Because of getting settled in after the move, Freda did not start school until she was seven. She went to a school in downtown St. Charles up through the eighth grade. She was such a good student that the teachers recommended that she attend high school, but she didn't want to. She said that she would rather stay home and help her mother, as her mother worked very hard. The principal even came to visit her parents to persuade them to have Freda go to high school, but they said that Freda could stay home if that was her choice.
When Freda was 15, she worked for a time as a housekeeper for the Parquettes who lived next to Elsie and Charlie. Mrs. Parquette was ill, and her son John lived with her. John later married Clara and had four daughters, Jeannette, Caroline, Olive, and Dorothy.
Freda worked at her uncles' glass factory after she finished school. She did a variety of jobs, including paper work and waiting on customers. The glass pieces would be displayed on sheets of navy blue velvet, and Freda would help the customers select the pieces they wanted. Her brother Bill was one of the best groovers. After the glass was grooved and smoothed, it would be dipped in acid to give it a brilliant shine, and then rinsed in water. Freda owned many pieces of glass from the factory, but didn't really like them, so she later sold them to a shop in Geneva. One day, when Freda was working in the front office, she looked out the window and noticed a handsome young man walking up the sidewalk toward the building to apply for a job. She said to herself, "That's the one for me!". His name was Edgar.
Edgar got a job with Heinz Brothers as a "rougher". A "rougher" would put roughness in the glass, after which the piece was smoothed by the "smoothers". Freda's younger brother Otto would sometimes come by to watch Edgar doing his job.
Freda received unwanted attention from a Belgian man named Gus who worked at the glass factory. Pa Nagel asked the Heinz brothers to fire Gus, but they refused. Eventually Gus accidentally broke a punch bowl, and they had reason to fire him. Pa Nagel still worried that Gus would try to retaliate, so he wouldn't let Freda out of the house. This made Freda so angry that she moved in with her sister Elsie and her husband, Charlie Dau, where she shared a room with Charlie's sister Bertha Dau for about 3 years prior to her marriage.
After leaving her job at the glass factory, Freda worked at the Cable Piano Factory in St. Charles, because she had always loved pianos and music. The Piano Factory was located along the Fox River in the building which became the Piano Factory Outlet Mall in the 1980's, but no longer exists. She worked in the section where the pianos were strung. She and one other girl, Jenny, tested the pianos, which was usually a man's job due to the hard physical labor - Freda and Jenny were the only two girls to perform that job.
Before Edgar and Freda were married, Edgar said that he didn't want a whole bunch of kids like his brother Elmer; two would be enough. Freda agreed. Edgar smoked cigars as a young man, but after he was married, he caught the flu, and never smoked anything after that.
Edgar and Freda were married on September 1, 1920. When they were married, they went and picked up her parents to stand up for them - they were the only ones present. When they were first married, they rented a house together with Freda's brother Bill Nagel and his bride Mabel, who were married just a week later. Bill and Mabel rented the downstairs of the house for $18 a month, while Edgar and Freda rented the upstairs for $12 a month. Edgar had to carry water up the stairs, since there was no running water in the house. Pa Nagel had offered money for a wedding like Elsie had, but both couples chose to take the money instead, and used the money to buy a combination coal and gas stove.
About 6 months after they were married, Edgar and Freda rented a house in Batavia where they lived at the time Dorothy was born. Dorothy was born on a very cold January day, with temperatures below zero, in the hospital in Aurora, because the Batavia hospital was full. When the Batavia house was sold, and they had to move, they bought an old house in St. Charles. The previous residents did not move out on the scheduled date, so they had to stay with Elsie and Charlie until their house was available. Pa Nagel fixed up the old house for them. Marilyn was born at the St. Charles City Hospital while they lived in the old house. Dorothy fell through the trap door into the basement and hurt herself.
Pa Nagel then had a house built for them at 304 S. Eleventh Avenue on the east side of St. Charles, across the street from his own house. It was there that Dorothy fell down the stairs and hurt herself again. They stayed in that house until after Pa Nagel died, and then moved in with Ma Nagel and her sons Eddie and Otto [some time before April 1930 when the census was taken]. The Swansons lived in the downstairs while Ma and Eddie lived in the upstairs. As Ma Nagel grew older, Freda and her brother Otto took care of her and Eddie until their deaths. Mathilda died in 1957 and the house was sold soon after.
Edgar and Freda bought a house at 1008 Illinois Avenue, only a couple of blocks away. They lived there only a short time until they moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1959 to be near Dorothy and her family. In Boulder, they bought a newer ranch home at 2015 Floral Drive and lived there about 2 years. In 1961, they returned to Illinois and lived for a few months with Marilyn and family at the farm at Bald Mound. Influenced by Freda's brother Otto who was living in North Aurora, Edgar and Freda bought a home at 303 Farview in North Aurora, where they lived for many years. They were members of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in North Aurora.
In 1978, they moved to Lancaster, Wisconsin following in the steps of Marilyn and her family. They lived at 205 N. Monroe in Lancaster for about 5 years. Edgar fell and broke his hip and was in a nursing home for a couple of months while it healed. When he returned home, he began to fall down repeatedly, and Freda could not get him up. So in the fall of 1983, they became residents of the Good Samaritan Center in Fennimore, Wisconsin where they shared a room until Edgar's death in 1985. Freda lived in the Good Samaritan Center another 18 years, during which time she had a variety of roommates. She lived there altogether for over 20 years, more than double the time of any previous resident.
Edgar held a variety of jobs after getting married, primarily as truck driver and mechanic. Among his early jobs, he worked as a mechanic in Geneva for several years. Later, he drove a truck for Hanson Transfer, usually driving from St. Charles into Chicago every day. While doing so, he witnessed the construction of the Chicago subway system. In the 1940's, he worked in the service department for Feldott's, a farm implement dealer on the east side of Batavia. He usually went around the countryside repairing tractors and machinery for Feldotts. Mr. Feldott had died, and the firm was operated by his daughters Theresa, Zita, and Mary. The Feldott sisters sometimes expected Edgar to run errands or take them places in the evenings, which did not please Freda. After 4 years, Edgar left Feldott's because his friend Markel hired him as a truck driver for Aurora Transfer. Edgar went back to Feldott's in 1948 and worked there the second time until October 1959 when they moved to Colorado.
While living in Colorado, Edgar worked for the Arnold Brothers Ford dealership; one of his jobs was to clean the used cars that had been traded in to make them ready for re-sale. He also worked briefly for Lyons Chevrolet in Boulder. When they returned to Illinois, Edgar worked for a time at the G.R. Johnson Ford dealership in Elburn. While living in North Aurora, he worked at Illinois Cleaners, just a few blocks away. In his retirement years, Edgar served for many years as the school crossing guard on Highway 31 (Lake Street) in front of the North Aurora Elementary School, where he was well-liked by all of the children and their parents.
After her marriage, Freda made her home and family her work. In addition to raising her own family, she spent many years caring for her aged mother and her handicapped brother, and also cared for her grandchildren whenever she had the chance. She was a fastidious homemaker and good cook. During World War II, when there was a labor shortage, she worked for awhile at the Campana factory near Batavia. While living in Boulder, she worked as a housekeeper in one of the sorority houses at the University of Colorado.
Edgar tried to teach Freda how to drive the car once. Dorothy and Marilyn were in the back seat, and thought it was all very funny. Freda got frustrated and never drove again. Edgar taught the girls to drive in their teens. Dorothy was also frustrated with driving, and didn't learn until later when Don taught her. Marilyn was about 18 when she got her driver's license. That day, she drove Edgar to work, then went home to pick up Freda, and together they went to the Court House where Marilyn took her driving test.
Edgar often raved about Freda's ability to play the piano by ear, saying that she could play any song after hearing it only once. Freda never had any piano lessons, but apparently inherited her musical talent from her father. After they moved into Ma Nagel's house, the piano was relegated to the garage. Freda would go to the garage to play, but she never tried to teach Dorothy and Marilyn how to play.
For their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1970, Edgar and Freda had a large celebration at Island Park in North Aurora, with more than 60 people in attendance. As an anniversary gift, Dorothy and Hersch took them on a road trip to California, where they visited with Donna and Harvey in San Francisco, drove down the coast to Los Angeles, and visited with Freda's cousin Elsie. They even went into Mexico to see Tijuana, which they did not enjoy at all.
Freda especially liked to play word games and card games. When their girls were young, Freda and Edgar would have the Jones family, with their daughter Tossie, over to play "500", and Marilyn would be asked to sit in for Freda while she went to make coffee. When she had grandchildren, Freda taught them to play "31" and "Help Your Neighbor". At one time, she painted the playing board for Michigan Rummy (or Tripoli) on her kitchen table, so when it was time to play, she only had to remove the oilcloth and get out the cards. In their 70's and early 80's, Edgar and Freda loved to play "Package Canasta" with 4 decks of cards.
Edgar and Freda enjoyed reasonably good health through their long lives. Freda suffered from a nervous disorder that caused her to be hospitalized at various times, the last of which was in her early 70's. She was helped by electric shock therapy. Edgar suffered from a lame back in his later years, and had a bout of pneumonia prior to his death. Freda's eyesight and hearing deteriorated in her 90's and 100's, but she maintained a clear mind very close to the end of her long life.
Edgar and Freda are buried in the Garfield Cemetery west of St. Charles, next to Freda's sister and brother-in-law Dora and Art Johnson, where they will enjoy many games of Package Canasta into eternity.
_________________________________________________________________________
?b?Freda's baptismal certificate?/b?
"Frieda, Auguste, Anna Tochter Ind Herr Ed. Nagel und Mathilde geb. Heintz geboren 2 [October is crossed out and replaced by] November, 1898 zu Chicago, Cook Co, Ill. ist am 3 December 1898 in der Ev. Luth. St. Markus Kirche in Namen des Dreirinigen Gottes getauft worden,
Taufzeugen waren
Emil Heinz
Ida Schmidt
Anna Schmidt.
Chicaco, Ill.
welches hierdurch bescheiniget wird.
Theo. Kuhn
Ev. Luth. Pastor
____________________________________________________________________________
?b?Freda's confirmation certificate
?/b?
Remembrance on the day of Confirmation
Frieda Anna Augusta Nagel having been duly instructed in the doctrine and duties of the Christian Religion, as purely confessed, taught, and believed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church and having vowed faithfulness thereto until death, was confirmed in Ev. Luth. Immanuel's Church, Batavia, Ill. on the 20th day of September, A.D. 1914.
Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go therent; because strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
?tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab?Matt. 7, 13. 14.
?tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab?H. Harms
?tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab?Ev. Luth. Pastor
___________________________________________________________________________
?b?Edgar's confirmation certificate?/b?
Certificate of Confirmation
This is to certify that Edgar L. Swanson, was received into membership of The Bethlehem Lutheran Church at St. Charles, Illinois by the act of Confirmation on the 17th day of April in the year of our Lord 1930.
?tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab?Bethlehem Lutheran Church
?tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab?St. Charles, Illinois
?tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab?J. David Ekstrom
?tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab??tab?Pastor
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 5, 1
_______________________________________________________________________
?b?Edgar's death certificate:?/b?
Name: Edgar Leonard Swanson
Date of Death: December 20, 1985
Race: White
Date of Birth: August 26, 1897
County of Death: Grant
City: Lancaster
Hospital: Memorial Hospital
State of Birth: Illinois
Surviving Spouse: Freda Nagel
Was is U.S. Armed Forces? No
Usual Occupation: Mechanic
Father's Name: Peter Swanson
Mother's Name: Carolyn Gustafson
Informant: Mrs. Freda Swanson
Address: 1850-11th St, Fennimore, Wisconsin 53809
Burial: Garfield Cemetery, Campton Township, Illinois
Hour of Death: 11:38 PM
Cause of Death: Respiratory arrest
Due to: Pneumonia
Due to: Possible cancer of right lung
Other condition: Osteo-arthritis
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1897 - 1985 (88 years)
