Gladys M. Mohr

Gladys Mabel Mildred Swanson Mohr, 89, of Princeton died Monday, August 30, 2010 at Methodist Medical Center of Illinois in Peoria, Illinois. Born January 24, 1921 in Princeton, Illinois to Sven August Swanson and Amy Mable Anderson. She was the last survivor of eleven children. She married Arthur Wayne Mohr on May 12, 1945 in Princeton. He died in 2006. Family, education, and profession were very important to her across her life. She graduated from Bureau Township High School in 1939; the School of Nursing, Methodist Hospital of Central Illinois, Peoria, Illinois in 1945; and Illinois State University with a BS in Health Education in 1991. From 1942 to 1945, she served in the United States Cadet Nurse Corps. Her class was the first one at the School of Nursing, Methodist Hospital to be inducted into the Corps. She proudly practiced her profession as a Registered Nurse in a variety of settings over her lifetime and continued to serve as a Red Cross volunteer after retiring from active practice. Committed to the value of education, she returned to school to complete her bachelor’s degree later in life and was inducted into Eta Sigma Gamma, National Professional Honorary Society in Health Sciences. She greatly encouraged her children and grandchildren in their academic endeavors. Family was of high importance to her. She was proud of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She traveled to Sweden, stayed in contact with various relatives there over many years and joined the Bureau County Genealogical Society. She was a long-time member of First Lutheran Church, Princeton, Illinois which her grandparents, Charles and Emile (Johnson) Anderson joined in 1869 after coming to America from Jonkoping, Sweden. Her father came with his parents, Peter Pierson and Hanna (Karlson) Swanson, from Vara, Vastergotland, Sweden around 1880. Her parents met at First Lutheran and she was married there. Surviving are three daughters: Ruth A. Mohr (David Owens) of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Ruby E. (Bill) Dow of Mauston, Wisconsin; and Rose M. (John) Rock of E. Peoria, Illinois; and a special niece, Susan (Stephen) Stumpf of Princeton, Illinois. Also surviving are: five grandchildren, six great grandchildren plus nieces and nephews. Services will be at 11:30 am Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at First Lutheran Church, 116 North Pleasant Street, Princeton, Illinois with the Rev. Norm Femrite officiating. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery, Princeton. Visitation will be from 10 to 11:30 am preceding the service on Tuesday, September 7 at First Lutheran Church, Princeton. Memorials may be directed to the American Red Cross or First Lutheran Church, Princeton, Illinois.

Gladys M. Mohr

January 21, 1921 - August 30, 2010