Jerome Allen Swanson

Jerome Allen “Jerry” Swanson, 88, of Volga, South Dakota, passed away on June 23, 2026. The service will take place at 2:00 PM on Saturday, October 17 at United Parish of Elkton in Elkton, South Dakota, with visitation being held one hour prior. Refreshments will follow the service.

Jerry was born April 30, 1938, in Ada, Minnesota, the sixth of seven children born to Sidney John and Irene Ivonna Eloise (Hall) Swanson. His family lived briefly in Moorhead, Minnesota, and LaMoure, North Dakota, before settling in Leola, South Dakota, where the Swanson family operated a bakery. Jerry grew up working alongside his parents and siblings in the bakery, beginning a lifelong love of baking that he later shared generously with family, friends, and employees.

Jerry graduated from Leola High School in 1956. He was senior class president, played football, pole vaulted, participated in school plays, and worked on the school newspaper and annual. He attended Northern State Teachers College, graduating in 1960 with a bachelor's degree in secondary education, with a composite social science major and minors in English and psychology.

Jerry began his career as a teacher, teaching English in South Dakota. His life eventually led him in another direction when he began filling in as a speaker at United Methodist churches in Elkton and Aurora. He attended Garrett Theological Seminary and became an ordained United Methodist pastor. Ministry remained an important part of his life for decades, even as his primary career changed. Over the years, he served or preached in Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Federated, and Lutheran congregations in South and North Dakota. He officiated at weddings and funerals, including the weddings of two of his children.

In 1976, Jerry married Diane Jane Bessler, beginning a partnership that would last nearly 50 years, ending with Diane’s death earlier this year. Together, they raised their blended family of seven children.

In 1980, Jerry began what would become a nearly 30-year career with the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. After completing his internship and becoming a licensed nursing home administrator, he served communities in North Dakota, including Osnabrock and Park River. In 1992, he returned to Oakes—where he had begun his Good Samaritan career as an intern—this time as administrator. He remained there until his retirement in 2009. While working as an administrator, he continued his ministry, including many years serving Our Savior's Lutheran Church near Oakes.

Following retirement, Jerry and Diane moved to Volga, South Dakota.

Above all, Jerry loved his family. He was the father of seven children whose ages spanned more than two decades, and he once reflected, “The best years are the years your kids are home with you. So, I have had a lot of ‘best’ years.” He was enormously proud of his children and especially delighted in his grandchildren.

Jerry's love was often expressed in quiet, practical ways. He showed up for games, concerts, track meets, performances, weddings, graduations, and family gatherings. He baked caramel rolls when grandchildren visited and mailed caramel corn, Chex mix, and monster cookies to grandchildren away from home. He was a prolific letter writer who kept track of birthdays and anniversaries and carefully timed his letters in hopes that they would arrive on exactly the right day.

He loved a good game of cribbage, the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings, drives through the countryside, and an occasional cold beer with a warm meal. He traveled to visit his children and grandchildren and, later in life, ventured farther from home, including trips to Sweden and Europe with family.

Faith remained central to Jerry throughout his life. Among the goals he wrote for himself in later years were to stay healthy, write and call family and friends, care for the earth, and “be more Christlike in word, thought, and deed.” He added simply, “I am working on them daily.”

Jerry was preceded in death by his wife, Diane, and his daughter, Ann-Jean Bremer.

He is survived by his children, Cheryl Swanson (Benjie); Sara Heath; Kori Swanson; Kelly Swanson (Jenny); Rebecca Swanson (Stephen); and Allen Swanson (Emily); as well as his son-in-law, Scott Bremer (Ann-Jean). He is also survived by 12 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.