Elsa Ruth Swallow

Elsa Ruth "Bibs" Swallow, age 94, passed away on Monday, October 20, 2014 at St. Joseph Assisted Living in Polson. She was born on November 28, 1919 at Niagra Falls, N.Y. to Elsa and Paul Gutknecht.
Her father was a minister who had a congregation and served as chaplain at Ft. Niagra during WWI. She completed the family joining an older brother Paul "Buddy" and an older sister Naomi. The family moved to Monticello, Iowa where she completed her schooling through high school.
At age 16, during the heart of the depression, she moved to Lewiston, ID to work her way through college. In 1939 she graduated at the top of her class with a teaching degree from Lewiston State Normal School. She taught for one year at Waterloo, IA. She left to marry Clark Matthiessen right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. The couple lived in Denver where Clark was stationed during the war. He served as a drill instructor and Elsa worked for the railroad, which was essential for the war effort.
After the war the couple moved to Hooper, CO where Elsa taught school and Clark was the principal of the high school. The cold weather encouraged them to move to California. They lived in the San Francisco Bay area (Petaluma). She taught second grade, got her Master's degree and completed her career as a reading specialist at the junior high level. She was proud to have worked with Dr. Bjorn Carlson creating the reading diagnostic test of the period.
In her spare time she raised two children, cared for her elderly parents, and was an outstanding hostess.
She was married to Clark Matthiessen for 33 years.
She moved to Dayton, MT with her second husband, Ezra Swallow for her retirement years. She lived in Dayton until age 90 when she moved to Polson's St. Joseph Assisted Living.
She continued to be active with her bridge club and trips to Stevensville to visit her daughter.
Elsa had a fun filled busy life. She will be missed by her many friends and loving children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Memorial services for Elsa will be held on Friday, November 7, 2014 at 2:00 P.M. at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 1608 2nd Street in Polson. Memorials may be sent to the Polson Loaves and Fish Food Pantry, 904 1st Street East in Polson.
Read Elsa Swallow's Obituary and Guestbook on www.groganfuneralhome.com.