Stanley & Victoria Swen

Stanley Albert Swen, 77, and Victoria Lynette Swen, 68, suddenly and unexpectedly left this realm on Sunday, Feb 17th.

Born in Minneapolis to Albert and Mercedes Swen in October of 1941, Stan was raised around the cities with his brother Larry and sister Lee Etta until they moved to the Elk River area when Stan was around 15 years old.  He was the cool, city kid at first but his true farm boy nature would eventually take hold and ultimately become who he was at heart. It was in Elk River Senior High or Handke as it is known, where he met Linda Rose, his high school sweetheart whom he would marry and have two children with, those being Kurt and Kyle.  He would eventually find work with the Star Tribune as a pressman and over time would become the head pressman where he oversaw the operations of the massive machines that cranked out the paper every day for the masses. When he wasn’t hard at work there, he never ever stopped playing practical jokes on his co-workers, family and friends for he was a prankster at heart and his stories of said shenanigans were some of the best to ever be told.  As for he and Linda, they would eventually go their own separate ways and it was not long after that when he met the love of his life.

Victoria, or Vicki as it may, was also born in Minneapolis and was the daughter of Paul and Cora Flick.  She came to them in January of 1951 where she grew up in the Loring Park area along with her brothers Ron and Paul Jr.  Not long out of high school, Vicki would meet and marry Leroy Dahlberg and the two went on to adopt Jennifer and then give birth to her only biological child, Craig.  She worked as a nursing aid within assisted living centers for many years, helping the elderly and from a very young age to the day she left us, she was a sort of St. Francis of Assisi due to her beautiful and immeasurable love of animals.  She wanted to take them all in and through the years she became the mother to numerous creatures such as cats, dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, lizards, birds, skunks and even an alligator and a monkey. Her quirky humor and massive heart warmed the souls of all she met.  Over time Vicki and Leroy would eventually go their own separate ways as well and just as in the previous case, it was not long until she met the love of her life.

Stan and Vicki would marry their families together in the fall of 1978 and went on to raise their children in Elk River.  This small, midwest town where they would make each other laugh and smile and breath in all the beauty that is life together.  They were madly in love and be it by some odd, twisted grace, they left this life in the same manner in which they lived it...right at each other’s side.  

Together they created a combo of gentleness, compassion and goofiness that was truly unique.  I can safely speak on behalf of all when I say we will all miss them so very much and so very deeply until the end of our days but will find comfort knowing their smiles, love, laughter and light will shine on forever.   

Visitation will be Wednesday, Feb 27th at 11 A.M. at Dare’s Funeral Home at 805 Main St., Elk River, MN.  Funeral service to follow immediately after at 12 P.M. at the same location. A celebration of life gathering will then take place from there at the Elk River Lions Club at 1104 Lions Park Drive.  An Alzheimer’s Memorial Fund is set up in Stan’s name. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to http://act.alz.org/goto/Stan_Swen

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