La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

What do Austin Swanson and Aisley Anna Zimmerman have in common? Yes, they are both Swansons.

Aisley was named after her great-great-grandmother, Anna Swanson, Austin’s mother. The uncanny fact is that Aisley attends first grade in La Conner, exactly 100 years after Austin, who died at age 101 in 2013, attended first grade in La Conner.

The Swansons have attended La Conner schools for generations. But to start school exactly 100 years apart is a milestone.

In the winter, Austin trudged through snow, sleet, and rain. Leading his three brothers, Vincent, Vernon, and Kermit along the dike, they actually forged a path if there was deep snow.

Aisley and her brothers Kenai and Hadden are chauffeured by Grandma Becky Swanson, who is “Mrs. Swanson” to her third-graders. A La Conner graduate, Mrs. Swanson has taught at the school for over 25 years.

Many other Swansons just rode the old school bus. No matter how we got to school, we have been there as students and teachers.

Vincent and Marian’s daughter, Marianne, not only went to La Conner schoolS, but went back to teach kindergarten, English, and became the librarian.

Like my cousin I graduated from La Conner then went on to teach kindergarten and become a librarian. I taught and lived an hour from my home town, that being as far as I could stand.

Marianne and Chuck Hedlund, also a La Conner grad, had three children graduate from La Conner, Lori, Bruce and Brian. Brian Hedlund and wife Lisa, another La Conner grad and teacher, had two daughters graduate from La Conner, Olivia and Abigail.

Abigail teaches in Mount Vernon at the same school as her cousin Leslie Swanson, Aisley’s mother. Swanson teachers have to branch out a bit. La Conner schools can only handle so many of us. Kirby Swanson went clear to sunny Florida to teach.

Austin was the first Swanson born in the United States, right here in La Conner. But his father Anton Swanson attended some school in La Conner as an adult to help master the English language.

He started a tradition that continues for how many more generations? Anton’s purchase of the farm and having a big family with Anna started a close-knit clan.

Dean said the farm keeps us all together. That’s true. The truth is also that Dean keeps the farm running and keeps the family together. I would like to say thank you to Dean for working so hard, and for realizing Austin and Aisley started school 100 years apart.

Finally, Dean, Happy 60th Birthday!