The sudden death of Fred H. Swanson, who died instantly of heart attack at his home on the Mexico
road Saturday, April 13, 1940, came as a great shock to his friends. For more than a year his heart
had been ailing, but Saturday he was as well as usual. About 4 p.m. he started to go to the barn to
feed the chickens. Twenty minutes later his wife went into the woodshed and found him lying on the
floor. He was dead. In his arms was his pet cat. Apparently his heart had ceased to function as he
stooped over to pick up the cat to take it to the barn. There was no cut or abrasion from the fall,
and his glasses were unbroken.
Frederick Howard Swanson, son of John H. and Elizabeth Rush Swanson, was born May 4, 1866, in
the house,where he died. October 11, 1894, he married Miss Nina Myrtle Rice, the ceremony
being performed by the Rev. J. P. Johnson in the Methodist Church at Cleveland, N.Y.
Mr. Swanson was locally prominent as school teacher and pipe organist. At the age of 19 years he
took charge of the organ in the Presbyterian church, which he played for 23 consecutive years.
In 1908 he transferred his membership to the Methodist church and for the next 20 years presided
there as organist. He was a fine muscian and handled pipe organs with marked ability.
He had been a life-long devoted churchman, having united, at the age of 13, with Presbyterian church.
For many years he had been a teacher in the Sunday schools of both Presbyterian and Methodist
churchs.
He had devoted nearly 40 years to school teaching, taking his first school at the age of 19 years. He
taught the Westdale village school 18 terms. Other schools he presided over were Wolcott Hill,
Preston Hill, Mexico St., Brick School, and Lambie District. He also taught one year in
Durhamville.
Mr. Swanson was noted for his efficiency and loyalty as teacher and organist, and was one of
Camden's most highly esteemed townsmen. At 61 he retired and had since devoted his time to his
small farm.
Surviving besides his wife are two daughters, Mrs. Orville A. Manzer, Turin; Mrs. Lewis F. Lock,
Camden; 2 grandchildren, Orville A. Manzer, Jr., and Betty Lock; 2 nephew, M. Earl Eastham, John
E. Eastham, Camden. A daughter Frederica, died in infancy.
The funeral was held Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at the J. Floyd Smith Funeral Home, Miner avenue. The
Rev. T. J. Williams, Methodist pastor, officiated, assisted by the Rev. Walter Suits of Mt. Pleasant,
N.Y.
Interment was in the family lot in Forest Park Cemetery.
Bearers were former school students in his home district -- Wilfred Seubert, Walter Price, David
Price, Carleton Milliman, Roy Miller, Leon Hall.
Attendance at the service packed the Funeral Home and entire residence of Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
From out of town were present: Mr. and Mrs. O. A. Manzer and son, Turin; Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus
Rice, Mrs. Ruth Ingersoll, Fulton; Mrs. Harold Parker, Oswego; Mr. and Mrs. Lunda Audas, Rome;
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Jennings, Cleveland; Mr. and Mrs. Roland Dickinson, Bernhard's Bay; Mrs.
E. G. Rice, Mr. Harold Rice, Miss Mildred Rice, Miss Mary Rice, Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Manzer,
Syracuse; Mrs. Geo. Graves, Oneida; Mrs. Chas. Wickman, Rome; Mrs. Emma Groff, Mr. Jas. Brown,
Utica; Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Hubbard, Mexico; Rev. Walter Suits and wife, Mt. Pleasant; Mrs.
Herman Loomis, Mrs. Ida Armstrong, Maple Flats; Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Dodd, Mrs. Lemuel Dodd,
New Woodstock, Mr. and Mrs. Will Dodd, Petersboro; Mrs. Charles Miller, Rome; Eugene S.
Williams, Oneida Castle.
"He was a fine man," a common expression of friends since the passing of Mr. Swanson, represents
one of the finest tributes that could be paid the departed.