Charles H. “Chuck” Swenson age 91, of Glendive, passed away on Monday, December 7, 2015 at the Glendive Medical Center in Glendive with his family by his side.
Visitation was held from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Friday, December 11, 2015 at the Silha Funeral Home in Glendive. Funeral Services were held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, 2015 at the West Side Baptist Church in Glendive with Pastor Dan Pust officiating. Interment with military honors will be held in the Dawson County Cemetery in Glendive. Silha Funeral Home of Glendive has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Chuck, the youngest of eight children, was born in Dodge, N.D. on December 14, 1923, son of J. Carl and Inga (Pedersen) Swenson. He was raised and educated in Halliday, N.D. where he attended Halliday High School, graduating with the class of 1942. Chuck enlisted in the United States Navy in 1945 and served as a “Fireman First Class” on a Destroyer Mine Sweeper in the Southern Pacific area during World War II. He was honorably discharged from military service in 1946. Chuck worked on the island of Guam from 1948 until 1949 for Morrison Conutson Peter Kewitt Construction and later he worked as a seismographer for Standard Oil from 1953 until 1955.
Chuck met and later married Renee Cornelia “Connie” Fleck on May 9, 1955 in Dickinson, N.D. and to this union five children were born; David, Cheryl, Daniel, Timothy and Christopher. Chuck and Connie moved to Glendive where he started working for Shell Oil Company in 1955 and continued for thirty years until he retired in 1986.
Chuck was a main usher for many years at the West Side Baptist Church and a member of the Gideon’s for several years. He enjoyed doing maintenance and any repairs needed to his property and the church. He was very handy and was always fixing things, growing things and watching the wildlife in his shelter belt.
He was preceded in death by his parents, J.Carl and Inga Swenson; five sisters and two brothers.
He is survived by his wife, Connie Swenson of Glendive; children, David (Marjorie) Swenson of Libertyville, Ill., Daniel (Shona) Swenson of Wichita, Kan., Christopher (Kelly) Swenson of Wichita, Kan., Cheryl Coyan (Tom Robinson) of Missoula, and Timothy Swenson of Glendive; ten grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Remembrances and condolences may be shared with the family at: www.silhafuneralhomes.com.