Earl Bernell Swenson, age 98, passed away on November 4, 2019 at his home in Oklee.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10, 2019 at the Oklee School. This will be preceded by a visitation at 12:30 p.m. at the Oklee School. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery in rural McIntosh.
Earl was born January 15, 1921 five miles north of Oklee, and he grew up on farms north and south of Oklee. He attended school at Bucktown School in Lambert Township. After being in business for many years, Earl earned a GED in Oklee at age 60.
On November 10, 1944, Earl married Bergit Jellum in Grand Rapids. They made their home on a farm five miles south of Oklee. They moved into Oklee when Earl started his business there in 1952, and they resided there for the past 20 years in their house in Oklee on “Sunset Corner”.
Earl was an entrepreneur and was engaged in many different business ventures in the Oklee area over the past 80 years – including raising mink, grain farming, raising livestock, selling petroleum products, trucking, running a restaurant, as well as selling and servicing: farm machinery, cars, trucks, snowmobiles, recreational equipment and trailers. Earl was active in his business in Oklee until the past three months.  Earl also served as a Councilman and Mayor of Oklee.
When Earl was a teenager, he choose to serve God and he was true to his convictions until the end of his life. Both Earl and Bergit encouraged their children and others to put God first in their lives.
Earl was preceded in death by his parents Selmer and Synneva Swenson; brother, Silas Swenson; sister Lavina Swenson; and an infant grandson, Brian Carlson.
Earl is survived by his wife Bergit, to whom he would have been married 75 years on November 10. He is survived by his brother Ray Swenson (Barb) and sister-in-law Polly Swenson.  Earl is also survived by his five children: Karen Carlson (Doug), Curt Swenson (Caroline), Tim Swenson (Donna), Don Swenson (Cheri), and Sherry Dake (Larry), as well as 13 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice Red River Valley at www.hrrv.org or 800-237-4629
Condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com