Index of /home/photo/scan/Swanson

Emma Swanson (ca. 1867 - 6/16/1960) and John Swanson (ca. 1861 - 4/17/1942) were the foster parents of my mother Eleanor Rubin Ness (9/04/1906 - 3/25/2004). To the best of my knowledge, Emma Swanson was unmarried when she emigrated from Sweden at age 27 (see her emigration contract). She eventually settled in Minneapolis and married John Swanson (see what I believe to be their wedding photo); I believe Swanson was both her maiden name and her married name.

When my mother first lived with the Swansons (sometime after the death of her mother Nellie Malmsten Rubin on 4/30/1911), they lived in a small house on Cedar Lake. Later (starting ca. 1917?), they lived in a duplex at 2516 West 22nd Street, possibly built by Emma's brother Charles Swanson. My family (parents P. Norman Ness & Eleanor Ness, brother David Ness, and me) lived in the upstairs unit of the duplex until the early 1950s; Emma remained downstairs until her death in 1960.

My dad's slides include several family pictures of Emma from the 1950s, at her duplex or at our house a block away at 2415 West 22nd Street:

• Christmas ca. 1950 at 2516: David (eyes closed!), Steve, Emma
• My family ca. 1954 in backyard at 2415: Norman, Eleanor, Steve, David, Emma
• Emma ca. 1956 in backyard at 2415: Emma, my grandfather Anton Ness, [Mrs. Fant?]
• Emma's 90th birthday party in 1957 at 2415
• Emma in summer 1958 in backyard at 2415: Eleanor, Emma

This page shows the few other items I have related to my beloved Grandma Swanson:

• kontrakt: Contract dated 10/11/1895 for Emma's emigration from Sweden, in Swedish and English. Göteborg to Hull by steamer, to Liverpool by train, to Quebec by steamer; steerage. $18 fare includes lodging while in England and provisions throughout travel. Baggage: one trunk not to exceed 10 cubic feet, 100 pounds.
• s03color: Wedding photo of John and Emma; frame stamped Petri & Svenson, Minneapolis
• s01color: Later photo of Emma and John
• s02: Photo of John and Emma
• lakewood: Plot map from Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, showing Emma's and John's graves. Charles Swanson was Emma's brother. Philip Ness (12/04/1945 - 1/21/1946) was my brother, who died in infancy. Now my parents Eleanor and Norman are also buried in this plot.

See also: my genealogy page.