Beverly M. Swanson (Bowman)

Swanson (Bowman), Beverly M. Age 82, Of St. Paul Beverly passed away Friday, 3/2/12, bravely fighting until the end against a long battle with ischemic colitis and MDS. She was born in 1929 off of West 7th in St. Paul. The Great Depression and WWII formed her early years. When the war ended, she married a returning naval man, Warren Bowman, and started her baby boom family in a small eastside home built by her Norwegian Grandfather-In-Law. Nothing gave her greater joy than being a mother. She never met a baby or child she didn’t like. She was a consummate homemaker taking pride in everything she touched; from freshly folded line dried sheets to her homegrown and canned tomatoes and her flaky mouth watering rhubarb pie. Her passions included sports, politics, cooking, knitting, embroidery, crossword puzzles, cards and gambling. She was beautiful, smart, funny, compassionate and a champion of the down trodden. She was preceded in death by her parents, Agnes and Ervin Harloff; sister, Carolyn Bradshaw; a stillborn daughter; and her beloved son, Kevin. She is survived by her daughters, Kristin Bowman, Jodell Heller and Polly Somers; 5 granddaughters and their children; and brother, Robert Harloff. She will be dearly missed by oh so many! Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, 12 noon at Mueller Memorial Parkway Chapel, 835 Johnson Parkway, St. Paul with visitation 2 hours prior to the service.