Jan. 16, 1916-March 13, 2006
Russell Hazen Swinson, 90, died on March 13, 2006.
He was born in Sandusky Co., Mich., to James Edward and Edith May (Hazen) Swinson.
He was the eldest of 11 children. At 14, he began working on a neighbor’s farm; and at 17, he married Jesse (Agle). They had five sons. They later divorced.
In 1949, after moving some friends to Oregon, he decided to settle here.
He married Freda (Lee), and they had one son. She preceded him in death in 1972.
After helping build the bridges of Highway 101, he sold his construction company and bought and operated the Flying A service station in Charleston. He later owned and operated the Phillips 66 in Bunker Hill.
In 1969, he sold the gas business and worked at the Sun Valley Bulb Farm in Myrtle Point until his retirement in 1979.
Mr. Swinson then married Marna (Hansen). She brought with her three young girls and two grown children. When they retired, their time was divided between Arizona and Oregon. Mr. Swinson returned to Eugene in 1991 and divorced. He married Rebecca (Bowers) in 1992.
Mr. Swinson worked several jobs in his “retirement” as night guard at several mills in the Eugene area and fire watch in the woods. His last years were spent on a farm in Crawfordsville.
Mr. Swinson is survived by his wife, Rebecca; sons and daughters-in-law, John and Jackie, Don and Valarie of Michigan, Russell Jr. and Donna of Oklahoma, Edward and Debbie of Coquille, Marvin and Ruby in Dayton and Jay and Susy of Eugene; stepdaughters, Sandra of Dundee, Lurlyn of Newport, Trudy Vierra of White City and Charlotte of the Medford area; stepsons, Lee, Richard and William; 20 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and 12 stepgrandchildren.
Swinson was active in his church, and the family requests, in lieu of flowers, that memorial contributions be made to Crawfordsville Community Church, the Gideons or a charity of donor’s choice.