Paul Manly "Red" Swanson

Paul Manly "Red" Swanson was a man whose roots ran deep, anchoring him solidly, supporting him and those who needed him. He was a man whose limbs reached out, always touching so many around him. Paul was a man with a green thumb, a level head and a generous heart, a man whose roots live on in those that knew him.

Paul was born April 18, 1914 in Chicago, Illinois, the middle of eight children born to Selma Benson and Gottfried Swanson. Like so many in those lean days of World War I, the Swansons didn't have very much, and times were tough. Gottfried was a farmer by trade, while Paul's mother stayed at home and raised her eight children. She was a good mother, who made the most incredible bread.

The Swanson family moved to Foley, Minnesota shortly after Paul's birth, but times weren't much better for the Swansons in that small town northwest of St. Paul. Manly, as he was known in Minnesota, often spoke of those tough times, and enjoyed telling stories from his childhood. As a child he would often wake up in the middle of those frigid Minnesota winter nights to find snow on his blanket! So he would heat up pieces of steel and use those to heat the home or the room. It was tough times like those that helped Paul appreciate the many wonderful joys he had later in life.

Paul's childhood didn't get much easier at school, either. He attended a little one-room schoolhouse through the eighth grade, and with that wide age differences of children all under one roof, he was often picked on by the older kids, who would put his head under the water pump! Sometimes Paul might have deserved it, though, as he was known as a practical joker when he was young.

Paul was also born a natural lefty, and grew up writing with his left hand, a habit his teacher "cured" him of by smacking him in the knuckles. As a result, he was never proud of his penmanship. After the eighth grade, Paul left school to work on the family farm, very willingly.

But Paul's youth wasn't all bad. Two of his sisters, Eunice and Viola, were friends with a girl named Florence, who lived three miles away and was often over to the Swanson farm to visit. And after Paul moved away to Detroit and later Grand Rapids, Michigan to find work, he often thought of Florence. On one of his many return trips home to visit, he and Florence began dating. They had so much in common, it just seemed natural. After all, both of them had similar families, went to the same church, and were both Swedish. Their romance built slowly over those years growing up, but like Paul, its roots ran deep, and their bond was so strong.

The two married on August 10, 1940, in her parent's home, the start of a wonderful, 65-year marriage. After the wedding, the happy couple honeymooned in northern Minnesota for a week, and soon moved to Grand Rapids. Their family soon grew, as well, with the birth of son Dennis in 1943, followed by daughter Diane in 1948 and son David in 1955.

The births of his children made Paul so pleased and proud, and helped keep him and Florence busy. He was the disciplinarian in the family, and could be stern but always kind, and instilled in his children a love of hard work.

Of course, the busier Paul was, the happier he was. He was a tireless worker, whether around the house or at his job at American Seating Co., where he enjoyed a 40-year career. Paul was a talented craftsman and innately gifted at fixing things, perfect qualities he brought to his position as head of maintenance for the company.

But Paul did almost as much work at home as he did at his workplace, of course. He never liked to sit still, or lay down. He also enjoyed a seven-acre fruit farm, and was a master gardener. He would build a greenhouse every year, tapped Maple syrup, sold vegetables on the corner with his children and even built his own garage. He loved his garden, working with the soil, and often had to protect his garden from animals with his slingshot! (He had amazing accuracy with that slingshot, too.) But his hard work paid off, and his vegetables and flowers he grew were always impressive.

Paul was also an amazing craftsman and woodworker, and would design everything and could fix anything. He loved to cut wood, and turn it into his latest creation. He loved to build things for others, as well, everything from shelves, to bookcases, to bird houses. But that was Paul, a tireless worker, uncommonly talented and generous.

In 1965, Paul and Florence sold their home at 1741 Kinney NW, along with that seven-acre fruit farm, and moved into the new home they built next door, at 1767 Kinney. Of course, you never had to look far for Paul because he was probably in his garage, complete with all the necessary trappings to facilitate his hobbies, working on his latest masterpiece.

Of course, Paul's greatest masterpiece was his loving family. As busy as he was, he loved spending time with them, and every year in July the family would go on vacation, quite often to Minnesota, where they would fish for walleye on Mille Lacs Lake and for pan fish on Clearwater or Mule Lakes. Their life together was good. And when Paul became a grandfather, he enjoyed his grandchildren so much. He loved to baby-sit them, hold them, and rock them. It was one of the only times you could ever get him to sit still!

Paul always had such an active personality, though. He was a member of First Evangelical Covenant Church, and taught Sunday school there. Faith was very important to Paul, and he always stayed active in the church.

But then again, Paul always stayed active at everything. He participated often in the Walker Seniors group, and he and Florence enjoyed a wonderful retirement together. They traveled often, taking bus tours, and visiting Hawaii, Venezuela, Denmark and his family's native Sweden, going back to his roots.

Paul was a man whose roots always ran deep. He was a loving father, a devoted husband, a gifted craftsman. Paul was a man who knew how to grow anything, fostering those roots to run deep and strong. Today Paul's roots live on, with his love and his memory so strong and deep in those that knew him.

SWANSON- Mr. Paul Manly "Red" Swanson, aged 91, of Grand Rapids, passed away on Saturday November 5, 2005. Paul was preceded in death by his sisters, Marion Swanson and Bernice Johnson. Paul is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Florence; children, Dennis (Terri) Swanson, Diane Preston, David (Jayne) Swanson; grandchildren, Michael (Elizabeth) Swanson, Julie (Mark) Borah, Emily Preston, Jill Preston, Lesley Swanson, Allyson Swanson and Sandi Enders; and 2 great-granddaughters, Ashley and Mya. Also surviving are brothers, Bertil and Maynard Swanson; sisters, Eunice Hanson, Viola Stoeckel and Harriet Dahlstrom; and several nieces and nephews. Paul worked for the American Seating Co. for over 40 years. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at First Evangelical Covenant Church, 1933 Tremont NW. Relatives and friends may meet the family from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home- Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. N.W. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can read Paul's Life Story, leave a memory, or make a memorial contribution to First Evangelical Covenant Missions Fund or Portage Lake Covenant Bible Camp.