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Chase County Kansas Historical Sketches

1863 - 2003 



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



Chase County Submitted Historical Sketches
compiled and abstracted from the Chase County Courant, Chase County Leader, other sources and newspapers
by Lorna Marvin
Please submit your historical sketches.


Return to Chase County Submitted Historical Sketches


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