Laila A. Swenson, 86, Dickinson, died Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at the St. Luke’s Home, Dickinson. Laila’s funeral service will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, January 22, 2011 at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson with Mr. Paul Haakenson, Mr. John Simon and Mr. Chris Swenson officiating. Interment will take place in the Spring at the All Nations Cemetery, Rock Lake. Visitation will be on Friday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to service time at Ladbury Funeral Service.
Laila Anna Bernice Martin was born December 31, 1924 at Rock Lake, North Dakota the daughter of Charles and Esther Martin. She was raised and educated in Rock Lake. When she began school she only spoke Finnish and during the fall & spring she would walk the 2 1/2 miles to school. Laila helped on the family farm where she drove two horses pulling a sweep rake, hauling hay and milking cows. One time she sang on Amateur Hour for the Devils Lake KDLR Radio. Laila moved to Minneapolis in June of 1943 to work in World War II defense factories making camouflage hammocks and gauging roller bearings for B29 Bombers. She also sewed pajamas at Munsingwear, commuting an hour morning and night on a street car.
Laila met Harold while in Minneapolis and wrote letters to him while he was in Germany, in the Army. Upon returning to Rock Lake area she obtained her Teaching Certificate from Minot College. In the fall of 1946 she taught rural school near Rock Lake, and later at two different rural schools near Warwick. Laila and Harold where married on August 30, 1947 at Devils Lake. They farmed for 3 years in Warwick, and moved to Rock Lake in June of 1950 where they farmed until 1987. They moved to Dickinson in 1989, ultimately moving to Park Avenue Villa in 2005 prior to becoming residents of the St. Luke’s Home. Laila enjoyed working on crafts, baking and cooking and loved being a mother & grandmother. Even while afflicted by Alzheimer’s she always responded to her great-grandchildren.
Laila is survived by her husband of 63 years, Harold; three sons, Darold (Joanne) Swenson, Minot, Sheldon (Mitzi) Swenson, Dickinson, and Jeffrey (Evelyn) Swenson, White Bear Lake, Minn.; nine grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and seven siblings, Milton (Theresa) Martin, Grand Forks; Leila Peterson, Rock Lake; Pearl Willman, Bismarck; Celia (Oscar) Johnsrud, Watford City; Marvin Martin, Rock Lake; Eugene (Beverly) Martin, Kent, Wash.; and Dennis (Carol) Martin, Hawley, Minn. She was preceded in death by her parents; an infant daughter, Susan Marie; brothers-in-law Edwin Kaleva, Gordon Peterson and Glen Willman; and an infant granddaughter, Andrea.
