Milton Swenson - Lake Preston

Feb 8, 1922 – March 5, 2018

Posted

Milton Swenson, 96, longtime business and civic leader from Lake Preston, died peacefully March 5, 2018, surrounded by his children at the Prince of Peace Retirement Community in Sioux Falls.

The proud son of Norwegian immigrants was born in Roslyn on Feb. 8, 1922. He attended Northern State and taught country school before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps when World War II began.

Milton met his wife, Vernie, in Texas. They were married in California, and remained together 63 years. Vernie died in 2009.

The couple moved to Brookings, where Milton earned a pharmacy degree at South Dakota State University. In 1952, he bought Van’s Drug in Lake Preston, and he and Vernie ran the business for 43 years. They retired in 1995 and moved to Sioux Falls in the early 2000s.

He served in many leadership positions, including several terms as mayor of Lake Preston. South Dakota pharmacists awarded him their most prestigious award in 1975: the Bowl of Hygeia for outstanding community service.

He is survived by four children: Rob of Sioux Falls; Sandra (Grant Wearne) of Cincinnati, Ohio; Gail of Sioux Falls; and Mark (Karin) of Sioux Falls; and four grandchildren.

 Visitation with family will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, at the Miller Funeral home in downtown Sioux Falls and from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. March 10 at Lake Preston Lutheran Church. Funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. at the church, followed by burial at the Lake Preston Cemetery and lunch at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be directed to the Lake Preston Lutheran Church or to SDSU Athletics.