NICOLLET – Former State Representative and lifelong farming advocate Howard Swenson died Sunday in rural Nicollet at age 93.

Most people know Swenson for his time in the State House, but his time as State Rep was only a small part of his public service.

His daughter Julie Gintner believes her father will be best remembered for his love of community and farming.

“He did love visiting with people,” Gintner said. “He loved to talked about anything going on in the world.”

She remembered there were times he would have long conversations with people he only recently met.

“Public service was always an important part of his life,” said his daughter Nancy Dorn.

He was an active board member of the Minnesota Holstein Breeders’ Association and the Minnesota Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, the Federal Land Bank of Mankato, Nicollet County Farm Bureau, and served eight years on the Minnesota Rural Finance Authority Board. He was also a charter member of the Nicollet Lion’s Club.

Nicollet Lion’s Club president Joan Blank said Swenson was the last of the charter members. He served with the organization for 52 years. Blank said she will remember him as a very faithful worker. He consistently attended Lion’s Club picnics and volunteered for the Pork Chop Fry.

Gintner and Dorn both cited their father’s deep faith. He remained an active member of the Norseland Lutheran Church all his life.

Gintner said, “He was a very faithful man and exploring what that means was important to him.”

Swenson was also very proud of the family farm. Gintner said the Swenson herd had the distinction of being the oldest continuously registered Holstein herd in the United States. This was a big point of pride for Swenson. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifice to keep the farm running.

Dorn said her father took over running the farm at age 16 after his father died. Howard Swenson and his brother Owen managed the farm together, each taking turns attending school while the other managed the heard.

Through this hard work he was able to pass the farm on to his family.

Dorn said some her strongest memories of her father was taking the family and the Holsteins to the State to the fair.

Over the years, Swenson received many agriculture honors. He was named “Outstanding Young Farmer” in 1965 and given the “Longtime Meritorious Service Award” by the Minnesota Holstein Association in 2011.  In 1993 he received the “Breeder of the Year” award from the Purebred Dairy Cattle Breeders’ Association. Swenson endlessly volunteered within his community and the dairy industry. The Swenson’s were named “Nicollet County Farm Family of the Year” in 1987, “Friends of 4-H” in 1995, and received the Minnesota Farm Bureau “Honorary Life Membership” award in 2023. 

Off the farm, Swenson was known for his political service. This included 10 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Swenson served the first eight years (1995-2002) as the Rep. District 23B, covering Blue Earth, Nicollet, Sibley and Brown. His final two years in the House were as Representative of District 23A, serving Nicollet and Sibley County.

Current State Rep. Paul Torkelson lamented Swenson’s death. Though he never served in the house with Swenson, Torkelson remembered him through his work in the Minnesota Farm Bureau.

“After leaving the legislature, he remained very active in Republican party,” Torkelson said. “He attended many events and cared a lot about the district and farming.”

Torkelson said one of the things that made Swenson special was his attitude.

“He was always cheerful and positive,” Torkelson said. “He never spoke badly of anyone, which is unusual in politics.”

Nicollet County GOP Chair, Peter Trocke, described Swenson a soft spoken individual who was very honest and straightforward.

“He was true to his belief and passionate for what he stood for,” Trocke said. “At the same time he was never flashy. He never wanted to take credit.”

Trocke best remembers Swenson as a man willing to offer assistance.

“I got to know Swenson when I first got involved with County politics, “Trocke said. “He was very helpful to other candidates.”

Dorn said she considered her father a mentor when she served on the Nicollet School Board in the 90s. Her father had also served on the Nicollet School Board for 12 years.

Looking back over his life, Swenson’s daughters can find few areas in life in which their father was not heavily involved; whether working on the farm, through the church, in politics or socializing with people in the community.

Gintner believes the only thing her dad disliked was being inactive.

“He liked to be involved,” she said. “Up until the last few months he was very active. He didn’t like if he couldn’t do something.

“I am proud he was my dad,” she said.