Linda Ervina Swanson

Linda Bothun Swanson was born May 12, 1943 in a log cabin in Washington State on the Paradise side of Mt. Ranier. She and her family remained there until WWII was over and then returned to Minnesota where her extended family lived.

Linda grew up in the country, climbing trees, going fishing, playing with cousins. She loved school and was the one in her class who had "read the most books" each year. The family moved to Loveland, Colorado in 1954 where they built houses as a family. Linda's father underwent corneal transplants which allowed him to continue working, and Linda to attend college.

Linda attended North Park College in Chicago, being voted Homecoming Queen in 1963. There she met David Swanson whom she wed in 1965. After graduation, she was certified to teach middle school and high school students in writing and literature. She taught these subjects at the Downers Grove school while her husband completed his doctorate and taught in the Washington DC area when she and her husband moved there in the mid-70's. In DC, they embarked on restoring houses. The first in northeast DC and the next in the Forest Hills of DC. After completing restoration of the Capitol Hill house, they adopted their daughter, Ana, and six months later Linda gave birth to their son, Jonathan.

While restoring the Forest Hills house and raising 2 children, Linda was elected President of the Forest Hills Citizens Association, helping to improve the community and neighborhoods. During this time, she wrote two books on adoption. When her children were older, Linda resumed her career, ultimately retiring as an executive assistant to the Dean at American University.

In retirement, Linda and her husband built a new house in a golfing community in south-central West Virginia. This began a 15-year period of finding a wonderful group of friends, volunteering at a local school and nursing home, entertaining, and playing golf. When health challenges of her husband became an issue, they moved to Moravian Manor in Lititz, PA, where she lived until her passing on November 6, 2026.

Linda leaves behind two brothers, Gene Bothun (and his wife Judy) and David Bothun (and his wife Carol), her daughter, Ana Filippo (and her husband Michael), and her son, Jonathan Swanson.