"The Other Swedes"
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​Mrs. Alma Christina Lind Swensson
 ~ Remembering her as Mrs. Rev. Dr. Swensson, the “First Lady” of Lindsborg, 
 ~ "Highlights" from Ms. Karen A. Humphrey’s book
​

Mrs. Alma Christina Linds Swensson
(1859-1939)

Source: Bethany College Forget-Me-Not 1902

​Ms. Karen A. Humphrey, in her 2012 book, Grace, Faith, and the Power of Singing: The Alma Christina Lind Swensson Story, has done an incredible job of profiling Mrs. Rev. Dr. Swensson, as she was referred to in her day.

Ms. Humphrey's book so personally and skillfully takes the reader into the life of this First Lady* of Lindsborg, Mrs. Swensson, along with her dynamic and renown husband Rev. Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson.  She describes the major events and achievements of their twenty-four years together, and, then those of Mrs. Swensson's, when living as a widow for 35 years.  Her widowhood began when Rev. Dr. Swensson, who was two years older than she, died suddenly in Los Angeles on February 16, 1904, while he was there on college business. 

In their season of life together in the Midwest, this couple, Carl and Alma Swensson, would be numbered among Swedish America's most important leaders who would still have strong ties with Sweden, so strong indeed that in June of 1897 while traveling to Europe, the British Isles and Sweden with their party of four Bethany College professors—Rev. J. Emil Floren, Sigfrid Laurin, Samuel Thorstenberg, Birger Sandzén, the Swenssons had to part their company for a while to joined the honored guests of His Majesty King Oscar II at his summer home on Marstrand, located on Sweden's southwest coast.  Here the King was hosting a more intimate Jubilee celebration reception.  Rev. Dr. Swensson, himself, was to have a few precious moments of conversation alone with the King, who had earlier announced the Jubilee commemorating his 25th anniversary reign on May 15, 1897, when he opened the General Art and Industrial Exhibition in Stockholm (aka Stockholm Exhibition or Stockholm World's Fair) with his speech to the nation.

(1897 was the year in which King Oscar II was to be recognized and congratulated from foreign royalty, leaders, common persons and his subjects.  As Mrs. Swensson's husband describes so well, later on in that year, in his book, Again in Sweden, on page 615 in his chapter titled, "King Oscar's Jubilee," Rev. Dr. Swensson starts out, "Oscar II had been King of Sweden twenty-five years the 18th of September, 1897, and this occasion was duly celebrated by a jubilee in Sweden, and everywhere else where the Swedish tongue is spoken and Swedish hearts are beating.  For the fame of this king has gone far, and his name as well as himself is loved and revered everywhere.  What he is and what he has been for his native land and its people cannot properly and adequately be described in this book, the purpose of which is quite a different one besides.  However, the festivities witnessed all over the world in honor of King Oscar show beyond doubt that he is considered and respected as one of the superior men of his time.)
​ 
It had been my wish to showcase some of Mrs. Swensson's achievements and highlights of her life found in Ms. Humphrey's book which unfortunately I discovered and read late when I was nearly finished with SWEDES.  Therefore, I can share only a few comments. 

Lindsborg's "Frist Lady," a role model as an Augustana Lutheran Christian

It is quite apparent that Mrs. Swensson can be remembered as a moral example of Christian womanhood.  Married or single, the Swedish American Lutheran women of today do not have to look far for a role model to emulate as they travel through life's moments of highs and lows, nor do Christian women from other denominations.

Committed, first, to her God and His Word and to her husband and their two daughters, Bertha and Annie, providing for their needs, Mrs. Swensson was, yet still, in a balanced and reserved manner, able to utilize and share her God given gifts found in music, writing, hospitality, and to hone her teaching, organizational, collaboration, entrepreneurial and leadership skills.  Thus, in so doing, she glorified God through her service to Him and to her Lindsborg and far-reaching world with love and compassion that resulted in a life well lived.

Lindsborg's "First Lady," as Bethany College's "First Lady"  -- the helpmeet of Rev. Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson

Without Mrs. Alma Christina Lind's love and devotion for her husband, and her support for his visions and goals for his Christian school, Rev. Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson would not have accomplished what he did for Lindsborg, for Bethany Church and for Bethany College.  With his wife by his side for 24 years, go HERE to learn more about him and the events of their times.

Lindsborg's "First Lady," as an Augustana Women's Missionary Society top-level leader

Thus, as a widow, her most "behind the scenes" contribution of compassion would be that of her tireless work for the Augustana Women's Missionary Society, "WMS," an organization of the Augustana Lutheran Synod that was founded in the Swensson home, the Bethany Church Parsonage, on June 6, 1892, by Mrs. Emmy Carlsson Evald (wife of Rev. Carl Evald, and daughter of Rev. Erland Carlsson, well known pastor of Chicago's Immanuel Lutheran Church and fourth president of the Synod) and by Mrs. Swensson (whose husband's father, Rev. Jonas Swensson, had been the second president of the Synod).

At this Lindsborg meeting of 50 or so Synod ladies, Mrs. Evald was elected president and Mrs. Swensson was elected Secretary whose duties would also include the editing of the WMS journal/newspaper, Missions-Tidning that Mrs. Evald founded several years later.  The WMS membership would grow to nearly 70,000 as would its budget to nearly one million dollars ($1,000,000).  This influential ladies' society would have an astounding impact on "the underprivilege" in America and abroad, found in such locations as the Middle East, the African continent, China, India and several European countries.  It would send out its WMS missionaries to these foreign locations, many of whom would spend decades of their lives in God's service there.  In these foreign lands and at home, the WMS would, also, be responsible for the building of churches, hospitals, schools, and homes for women, orphans and the aged, and for staffing them. **

Lindsborg's "First Lady," as the George Frideric Handel's Messiah performance organizer

As a married woman, Mrs. Swensson's most lasting cultural contribution, which began as an idea from her husband that they worked on together for a while, would find her owning the project.  This project, the Lindsborg and Bethany College's Handel's Messiah performances, continues now from the end of the 19th century into the 21st century.  This was due to Mrs. Swensson's using her gifts of becoming a most accomplished organist very early in life, as well as a singer, and her steadfast and meticulous groundbreaking work of organizing a church choral group and patiently teaching its members to sing Handel's sacred music.  Hence, because of her persistent efforts, in 1882, Lindsborg's Bethany Lutheran Church members with other church members first performed Handel's Messiah in the Smoky Valley on the Great Plains of Kansas. 

In the early years, the choral group grew into a chorus of hundreds which at its peak was over 500 members.  In its growth and development, the chorus would be named the Bethany College Oratorio Society, which for a very long season would attract world renown national and international guest musicians and opera singer soloists to perform for Handel's Messiah's audiences of thousands at Lindsborg's annual Bethany College Holy Easter Week performances, many of which were written about in glowing terms by national newspapers and magazines.  Because of the growing crowds, Rev. Dr. Swensson had an auditorium that could hold 4,000 persons built in 1895.  This auditorium was known by a variety of names including the Messiah Auditorium,  the Ling Auditorium, and the Ling Gymnasium.

Lindsborg's "First Lady," emanating genuine, and kind hospitality to all

Yet, the everyday contributions of Mrs. Swensson are those that are simply found in her welcoming countenance of genuine kind hospitality, not just witness by her friends, but by the unknown, the stranger, who her husband would invite over to their home, not just by a formal invitation, but by bringing company over without any notice!

First and foremost, visitors would be new faculty members that she and her husband would entertain.  For the Swenssons, as Ms. Humphrey writes, "shared with them the early vision of making this a college for young people seeking the American dream."  Ms. Humphrey's continues that Sandzén observed that " 'there was beautiful Christian fellowship in the Swensson home.  Mrs. Swensson was a good wife, mother, and hostess.  Her clear and practical understanding and her good judgment were often an invaluable help to her sanguine husband.  Her abilities, patience, and hospitality were often tested, we may be sure of that.  The benevolent and hospitable Dr. Swensson often brought home unexpected guest to dinner . . .  Sandzén noted that he witnessed some of these surprises himself, ' and I will testify that Mrs. Swensson was always able to make the best of the situation with cheerfulness and cordiality.  A visit in the parsonage was an unforgettable pleasure, whether one was invited or not.' " ***

Thus, Mrs. Swensson can be remembered as one with "a servant's heart" that shown out to all those who were entertained and spent special moments in the parsonage, such as those students, farmers, pastors, churchmen and church members, Lindsborg citizens and officials; Augustana Synod leaders and Women's Missionary Society members, Swedish American College presidents from other Augustana colleges and Swedish Americans from other states, Swedish ambassadors and top level officials; U.S. governors, senators and representatives; Church of Sweden and Augustana Lutheran Bishops; architects for college building projects and philanthropists for supporting Bethany College.

Of the countless planned gatherings at the Bethany Lutheran Church parsonage hosted by the Swensson with Lindsborg's "First Lady" in charge, these are my favorites: 

That of :

>   the Bethany College president's annual graduates' graduation celebrations with refreshments and farewell wishes finishing with Rev. Dr. Swensson's favorite hymn, "Nearer My God to Thee," which would become the unofficial Bethany hymn;

>   the June 6, 1892, Augustana Women's Missionary Society founding meeting; 

>   the November 9, 1901, one hundred and fifty (150) guests' dinner for Bethany College's Jubilee (20th Year) Celebration.  Here the honored guests would be the Emissary of His Majesty King Oscar II, Church of Sweden's Right Reverend Bishop and Lady Von Scheele.  Before their 4 day visit was over, the Bishop, on behalf of the Swedish King, would surprisingly decorate Rev. Dr. Swensson with the "Knights of the North Star."****  (This was a very significant and historical moment for the Lindsborg community, and especially for its college, as later years and decades would reveal such Royal Swedish recognition with decorations would occur 13 more times with Lindsborg citizens who were part of the Bethany College family.)

(In 1901, Lindsborg had a population of 1,500, according to a Topeka State Journal article on November 14, 1901. Also, according to a New York Evening Post article of November 15, 1901, in its report on the Bethany College Jubilee, the college, then, consisted of 40 professors, 800 students, 5 buildings and property valued at $175,000.  The Salina Union, reported "... It [Bethany College] now stands recognized the world over, wherever civilization reigns as the largest school of its kind in the land.  Its diplomas are recognized by Yale, Harvard, Chicago and other leading American and European universities..."  Found in The Yale Alumni Weekly of 1902:  "There are now more graduates from Bethany College in the Yale Graduate School than from any other college [in the nation], Yale excepted) *****

​Other comments on Lindsborg's "First Lady"

More glimpses of who Mrs. Swensson was will now come from Swedish American Bethany College graduates Mr. Bruce Karstadt and Mrs. Kathleen S. Hurty who read Ms. Humphrey's book.  Their reviews are found on the back of the book cover and are shown below.

>  Minnesota's American Swedish Institute President and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Karstadt: *****

   "Presented here in rich detail is the life of one of Swedish America’s most important leaders, whose contributions have long been overshadowed by those of her more well-known husband. We often overlook the role of women in partnership with their husbands in building communities. This is a striking testimonial to one such remarkable woman – Alma Swensson – without whom Lindsborg, Kansas, would not be what it is today."

>  Pacific Theological Seminary Graduate Teaching Fellow Kathleen S. Hurty: *****

   "The power of music, the power of storytelling, the power of hospitality – all are the leadership tools used by the creative and competent Alma Lind Swensson. This talented immigrant woman motivated others for cultural enrichment by starting a choral group in the tiny prairie community where she lived. She inspired global commitment and understanding by cofounding a national women’s organization and used her multi–linguistic skills to edit a lively woman’s journal reaching thousands with stories of women in global church leadership. An organist, soloist, teacher, partner in institution–building, mother, gracious home – builder, woman of faith, Alma Lind Swensson is someone you will want to meet through Karen Humphrey‘s delightful story – telling in this well-researched tale –a must read for all who honor and seek to learn from women’s community – building achievements, organizing skills, and generous gifts of hospitality."

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​Sources: 
*     "First Lady" was coined by me [FC] after learning all about Mrs. Swensson in Ms. Humphrey's book.
​**    Additional information other than from Ms. Humphrey's book has come from these internet sources:
         -Augustana College news article "Evald Hall: new name, stunning transformation," September 29, 2008;
         -Rev. Lennart Johnsson's, "The Global Impact of Emmy Evald and the Women’s Missionary Society," Copyright 2006; 
         -Biblia.work:  Encyclopedic Dictionary of Bible and Theology, "Evald, Emmy Carlsson" (1857-1946)
***   From: Grace, Faith and the Power of Singing, Chapter, "Where Hospitality is Golden," top of page 44
****  Forget Me Not Annual 1902 [Bethany College yearbook/annual report], pages 107-110 from the chapter
        heading, "Kind Words from the Press."
***** From: Grace, Faith and the Power of Singing, found on the back book cover ​

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​
Ms. Karen A. Humphrey
Author 
 "Grace, Faith, and the Power of Singing: The Alma Christina Lind Swensson"

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