Laura (Synoground) Swenson

Birth: She was born around 1913 in California.  

Family Information: Daughter of Ole Synoground and Lillie Synoground.

Sister of Ruby, Mabel, Clifford and Buddy Synoground.

In June 1931 she married one of the colony's finest young men, Jimmy Swenson. The "loving couple" slipped away on a Saturday and were united by Dr. Irwin of the Commonwealth Community.  

Description:  

Pre-Colony History: Her family arrived in the colony in 1918. She was one of the members of the colony when George T. Pickett first named General Manager.  

Home in Colony:  

Job in Colony: In April of 1922 she was part of a group of students including Vinita Thurman, Maxine Gaddis, Alice Jaques and Margaret Kapotsy who were shelling peanuts at the store.

She also worked in the cafeteria -- shelling peanuts, setting tables, getting dinner together and washing dishes -- along with Albert Kapotsy, Alice Jaques, John Dougherty, Beulah Gaddis, Ruby Synoground, Laura Merrill, Margaret Seelye, Emma Kapotsy, Vinita Thurman, Nellie Kemp, Margaret Kapotsy, Rachel Jaques and Dora Cryer.

In June 1928 she was part of the breakfast crew at the hotel, along with Mrs. Hewitt, Mrs. Daugherty, the Misses Allie Belle Hewitt and Comrade L.C. Thomas.

In April 1929 Hope Shoemaker, Laura Synoground and Pauline Eggleston prepared and served the evening lunch and the Mesdames Carroll, Maki, Oberlitner and Swenson and Dick Condon provided a fine dinner at the hotel.

In 1930 she was working in the colony print shop.

Other Info: She was often part of the program at the theater; A senior member of the Glee Club. In April 1929 she sang alto as a member of the Senior Glee Club along with Gertrude Maki, Allie Belle Hewitt, Bonnie Enfield and Lois Brattland; first sopranos included: Kathleen Bridwell, Zelma De Fausell, Hope Shoemaker and Jennie Black; and second soprano was sung by Ruth Shoemaker, Blanch Porter, Beatrice Jensen, Ruth Kingsbury and Florence Aiton.

In July 1930 she visited the Rice Ranch along with Mrs. R.W. Banta, Mrs. Charles Brannon, Ernest Kimball, George and Bee Jensen, Lois Thompson, Royall Thompson, Sextus Garrett and Hope Shoemaker.

In November 1930 she was part of the re-organized Girls Glee Club which included: Florence Aiton, Nellie Bradshaw, Verda Bradshaw, Madeline Van Buskirk, Ethel Clark, Zelma De Faussell, Gladys Kimball, Ruth Kittle, Hope Shoemaker, Ruth Shoemaker, Laura Synoground, Dorothy Thompson, Sylvia Tuber and Ruby Nesnow, pianiste.

She was one of 16 girls who wound the broad ribbons round the Maypole at Llano's birthday party in 1932 (other dancers included Nellie (Kemp) Bradshaw, Winnie (Ogden) Dougherty, Ruth Shoemaker, Sylvia and Ruth Tuber, Verda Bradshaw, Hortense Self, Esta Caves, Helen Emry, Vivian Busick, Irene Hewitt, Myrtle and Irene Maki, Marguerite Killian, Iris Busick, Flora Young and Rhea Mae Baldwin.)  

Post-Colony History:  

Death:  

Sources: Photo Archives; "Llano Colonist": April 22, 1922, June 30, 1928, April 13, 1929, April 20, 1929, April 27, 1929, July 19, 1930, November 8, 1930, July 11, 1931, May 14, 1932, March 3, 1933 (Story of Llano), April 11, 1933 (Reprinted from the Colonist May 17, 1924), June 24, 1933 (The Story of Llano): "Vernon Parish Democrat": February 28, 1929; U.S. Census: 1930