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Reverend Everett Swedenburg died Sunday January 27, 2008, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was 93. Everett was born on September 5, 1914, in Salina, Kansas, to Theodore and Claudia (Mattson) Swedenburg. He spent his early childhood in Salina and in Smolan, Kansas. He worked for a time at his father's general store and at other jobs, to help support his family during the Depression. In 1939, he left Kansas to attend North Park College in Chicago, Illinois, and later North Park Theological Seminary. He did additional religious study at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. It was in Chicago that he met his future wife, Eldora Wenell of Turlock, California, who was studying nursing at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago. They were married in 1944. Everett first served as minister to several congregations of the Evangelical Covenant Church, in the towns of Haddam Neck, Middletown, and Stamford, Connecticut, in Haxtun, Colorado, and in Ceresco, Nebraska. In 1953, he began work with The Covenant Press in Chicago, Illinois. He also had a short career in sales with the National Bible Press, covering territories in the Midwest and California. Everett returned to the ministry in 1961, and joined the United Methodist denomination. He worked in the Northern California and Southern California-Arizona conferences, serving churches in the cities of Turlock, San Francisco, Arcadia, Alhambra, Newhall, Los Altos, Riverside, and Modesto, California, and in Mesa, Arizona. Everett retired in 1981. Since his retirement he and Eldora have lived in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. In 2005, they moved to the La Vida Llena Retirement Community in Albuquerque. Everett is survived by his wife, Eldora; his son, Paul and wife, Nancy Gordon of Germantown, New York; his daughter, Eunice and husband, Gerhard Letzing of Seattle, Washington; and his son, Jon and Julie Fuller of Rio Rancho and Corrales, New Mexico. He is also survived by four grandchildren: Kristen (Letzing) Roosevelt and husband, Scott Roosevelt; Sandy Letzing; and Wesley and Matthew Swedenburg. His brother Romain Swedenburg of Spring Valley, California, and two sisters, Ruth Weeks of Salina, Kansas, and Doris Olson of Mercer Island, Washington, also survive him. His brother, Charles Swedenburg of Salina, Kansas, predeceased Everett. A graveside Memorial Service will be held at the Roselawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Salina, Kansas, on July 19, 2008. Donations may be made in Everett's memory to North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, or to the Retired Clergy Association (of the California-Nevada Conference, United Methodist Church) Memorial Scholarship Fund.
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