~ IN MEMORY ~
Bette Swenson, widow of NWA Capt. Chet Swenson
April 3, 1924 ~ May 30, 2018
Notification with the passing of Bette Swenson, widow of
Northwest pilot Captain Chester ‘Chet’ Swenson who passed in 2010. Both
obituaries appear below. To view Bette’s obituary online please visit
Bette’s obituary notes that no services are
planned.
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
Obituary............BETTE SWENSON
Bette Darlene Swenson Together Again Age 94,
died peacefully on May 30th, 2018 at her adult care home in
Bothell, WA. Born on April 3, 1924 to Odean and Mildred (Quimby) Jerlow in
Huron, South Dakota, she lived and worked on the family farm with her three
younger brothers near Carthage. After high school graduation she attended
college briefly in Estherville, Iowa. Bette later moved to St. Paul, Minnesota,
where she worked in a munitions factory supporting the war effort. It was here
she met her future husband, Chester Swenson, after his discharge as a pilot from
the Army Air Corps. They married in October of 1945 and were together for 65
years until his passing in 2010. Chet was hired by Northwest Airlines in 1945
and moving the family every few years soon became a way of life. Chet was based
in St. Paul, Seattle, Spokane, and Seattle once again. The family moved to
Tacoma in 1961 and soon became involved with the Fircrest Golf Club and Fircrest
Swim Team. Although Bette had her hands full raising three boys while her
husband was often away on long trips, she still found time to chaperone for the
Daffodil Festival and loved taking ";her girls"; around Tacoma for their
appearances. A fantastic cook, she loved cooking for her sons and their friends
from the neighborhood, sports teammates and fraternity brothers. When the boys
were grown and gone she turned her culinary skills to the grandkids with
sumptuous main dishes, casseroles, cakes and pies. Shortly after Chet retired,
they bought a seaworthy trawler, christened her the Option B, and enjoyed
cruising Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands with family and friends. In her
later years she and Chet enjoyed many winters in the Arizona sun. Bette had a
wonderful sweet nature, a caring disposition, and a positive attitude. Her tough
South Dakota roots and deep faith enabled her to survive three bouts of cancer
over the years. She will be greatly missed by friends and family in Minnesota,
South Dakota, Washington and Arizona. She is survived by her sons Gary (Sally),
Craig, Dave (Jill) and grandchildren: Jamie, Sam, Davy (Jake) Goetze, Brooke,
Heather (Trevor) Uhler and Luke, and eight great grandchildren. A special thank
you to Blueberry Gardens Senior Care of Bothell who provided superb care and
friendship to Bette for the past five and a half years. No service is planned at
this time.
-----------------------------------
Obituary Capt. Chet Swenson..............Chester H. Swenson
March 15, 1922 ~ Aug. 21, 2010
On August 21, 2010 we lost another hero from our greatest
generation. While in the hospital recovering from a fall, Chester H. Swenson
died peacefully in his sleep. Chet was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin to Archie
and Florence Swenson. He grew up in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and attended the
University of Minnesota for one year. The winds of war changed his focus from
college to aviation, and he traveled to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, planning
to become an aircraft mechanic. But the attack on Pearl Harbor altered his
training from repairing planes to flying them, and he completed his flight
school training in 1943. He was sent to the Pacific and became part of the 405th
squadron of the 38th Bomb Group. Chet saw action in the Northern Solomon
Islands, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Philippines. As a Captain
in the famous "Green Dragon" squadron, he flew 74 missions in a B-25 Mitchell
and was awarded the Air Medal. After his honorable discharge in 1945, he
returned to Minnesota where he met the love of his life, Bette D. Jerlow, and
they were married later that year. Shortly thereafter, he was hired by Northwest
Airlines as a co-pilot. His career took the family from St. Paul to Seattle,
Spokane, and finally, Tacoma in 1961. His career with Northwest spanned 37 years
and he piloted just about every aircraft in their inventory: the DC-3, DC- 6 and
DC-7, L-188 Electra, L-1049 Constellation, and the Boeing 707 and 727. He
retired a senior 747 pilot in 1982, highly respected by his peers. He was a
member of the Fircrest Golf Club and volunteered for the Fircrest and Tacoma
Swim Clubs. Moving from Captain of the sky to Captain of the water, he purchased
a 38 foot trawler and he and Bette and family roamed Puget Sound, the San Juans
and Canadian waters in the beloved Option B. They also enjoyed traveling to
Arizona in the winter and had many friends in Mesa and Scottsdale. Chet had a
generous spirit and was a friend to many. He lived his life with grace, honor
and dignity. We will miss him every day and he will live in our hearts forever.
Although Chet never considered himself a hero, to his family he was. He is
survived by Bette, his wife of 65 years, his sister Sylvia Nelson, and sons Gary
(Sally), Craig and Dave (Jill). Grandchildren include Jamie, Sam, Davy (Jake),
Heather (Trevor), Brooke and Luke. Great-granddaughters are Rubie and Paisley.
Chet's remains will be interred at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington,
in a private family ceremony. A public celebration of Chet's life will be held
Sunday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. at the Fircrest Golf Club in Tacoma,
Washington.
