Elaine M. Swanson, 89, passed away on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at the Southwest Healthcare Long Term Facility in Bowman, ND. Funeral Services for Elaine will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at the Peace Lutheran Church in Scranton, ND. Pastor Mary Peterson will officiate with burial to follow at Peace Lutheran Cemetery in Scranton, ND. There will be a Friends service on Friday, October 17, 2014 at 3:30 p.m. at the Southwest Healthcare Long Term Facility in Bowman, ND. Visitation for Elaine will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 17, 2014, at the Krebsbach and Kulseth Funeral Chapel, Bowman, ND.

Elaine Marie Hedman was born on May 3, 1925 at her parent's farm south of Scranton. She was the youngest of six children born to Oscar and Ida Hedman. She graduated from Scranton High School in 1943. She was a star basketball player on the high school team. After graduation, she attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, earning her teaching certificate and after teaching a year in a country school, was able to return and get her degree. She then taught in North Dakota for a while and went west to Seattle, WA where she taught for three years before returning to North Dakota.

In November of 1951, Elaine married Bernard Swanson at the Peace Lutheran Church in Scranton, ND. Three children were born to this union, Gwen in 1955, Paul in 1957 and Duane in 1963. They lived on a farm north of Scranton, building a house that was later moved east of Bowman. This area allowed Elaine to have her horses nearby, always taking great care of them. She loved to groom and ride her horses. In 1994, Elaine and her daughter Gwen took a trip to Sweden to explore her roots. And in 1995, Elaine and Illabelle Nelson put together a history of the Hedman relations and hosted the "first ever Hedman Family Reunion" in Scranton.

Elaine enjoyed playing sports and was a great athlete. While she was in Seattle, WA teaching, she played on a Seattle softball team. Later, after she returned to Scranton, she organized a softball team called the Blue Jay's and could play any position needed. She also taught tennis and loved to bowl, proudly displaying her bowling trophies in her room at the nursing home. She also loved music and was a Bowman County Community Choir member for 35 years.

Other hobbies included gardening and teaching leather craft and tooling to the local 4-H club. She truly enjoyed leather tooling and was extremely gifted. She also enjoyed sewing and was well known for her seamstress skills.

Elaine is survived by her husband, Bernard, sons, Paul (Vicky) and Duane (Santha) Swanson, grandchildren Lindsey, Elizabeth, Amanda, Lisa, Kendra, Conner and Chase, eight great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Elaine is precede in death by her parents, Oscar and Ida, her brothers, George, Russell, and Arnold (Bud), her sisters Myrtle and Helen, her daughter Gwen Vetter, her son in law, Lynn Vetter and one great granddaughter, Chanel Blair.