Anne Swenson

(Laveta)  Anne Swenson, age 85, known as Anne, died at Virginia Regional Medical Center in Virginia, Minnesota on March 2, 2022. 

She was born on March 27, 1936 in Blue Island, Illinois to Golda (Standard) and Eugene M. Swenson of Hazel Crest, IL.

Anne was the mother of two children: Nicholas and Sandra Anne. 

Anne Swenson was the publisher of the Ely Echo weekly newspaper from 1977 to 2021. She had also been employed as a waitress, payroll clerk, retail clerk, camp counselor, crafts instructor, book buyer, record buyer, assistant store manager, writer and columnist. Her column in the Echo was known as “From the miscellaneous drawer.”

During her lifetime she resided in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, California and Rome, Italy. She found her true home in Ely, Minnesota. 

She attended classes in a variety of colleges including American Conservatory of Music (Chicago), Cornell College (Mt. Vernon, IA), University of Iowa, (Iowa City) University of California (Berkely), University of Minnesota (Duluth) and Roosevelt University (Chicago). She was married for two years to Iowan Douglas Hieber and 32 years to Warren Wognum.

She was a Girl Scout troop leader in Rome, Italy and Champaign, IL. She was a past president of an Illinois cooperative nursery school, past chairman of Winton Sawmill Days, Ely Design Review Commission, Donald G. Gardner Humanities Trust and Ely Greenstone Public Arts Committee, served on the boards of: Vermilion Bicentennial Committee, Ely Chamber of Commerce, Northern Lakes Arts Association and Voyageur Winter Festival. She was a strong supporter of the World Press Institute through its visits to Ely.

She co-authored the Winton Historical Booklet and was the editor of the book “Ely, Since 1888.”

She was preceded in death by her parents and sister-in-law Judith (Swenson) Figlio, and Lisa Swenson, and nephew Greg Pernia.

She is survived by her son Nick (Mary) Wognum and their children,  Megan, Evan (Nella); Jacob (Kyah) and Nick’s grandchild Kinlee. 

She is also survived by daughter Sandra Wognum of Denver and her adopted sons John, Marquay, Tyson and Stephan; and missed by Anne’s special nieces Susan Baer Pernia and her children April and Cameron of San Diego, CA, and Ingrid (Andrew)Swenson of London, England. She also has a sister, Adela Swenson Baer and a brother, Norman (Ellen) Swenson and their adult children, Ken (Penny) Swenson and Karen, and their children.

There will be no ceremony. She chose to donate her body to science and the remainder to be cremated.

Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

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