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Chase County Kansas Historical
Sketches
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Fred Swenson 1885 found William and Sarah Pichard O'Daniel coming
to Toledo from Missouri. They bought an 80-acre farm from
Elkan Hiatt. Their daughter, Eva O'Daniel, became the
bride of Fred Swenson in 1924. Fred and Eva became the
parents of one daughter, Marjorie.
Fred was born 2 1/2 miles north of Council Grove on
April Fool's Day. He moved to Toledo with his family at age
15.
Fred and Eva's first home was on the Bragg Ranch
where the Mike Gilbreath family now lives. After the death
of Eva's parents, Fred and Eva bought out the other heirs in
1929 and moved to their farm in 1930. Later another 80 acres were added to the farm
making Fred and Eva's total acreage 160 acres of rich farm land. The Swensons saw it
through the hard years of the 1930s, flood and droughts.
After 59 years of marriage, Eva passed away unexpectedly at her home at the age of
85. Mrs. Swenson had worked for her community and loved working with flowers and
around their home in Toledo.
In 1990, Fred moved to Cottonwood Falls, renting out his farm and home. He is still
active except for a bum knee caused by an old football injury while playing for the Toledo
Township High School. He drives himself to the Methodist Church at Toledo, is active in the
Chase County Senior Citizens, maintains his home on State Street, supervises his farm, col-
lects pictures and articles for his many albums and has a stuffed animal collection, all at
the age of 99.
Fred served as Toledo Township trustee for over 40 years and on the school board.
If you wish to know anything about Toledo, Saffordville and its people, just ask Fred. He
can probably answer most questions. This man has a real sense of humor.
Daughter, Marjorie Swenson Jennings, lives a short distance west of her family home.
Chase County Leader News, Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, Oct16, 2003
by Lorna Marvin
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