Carl Robert Swanson

Carl Robert (Bob) Swanson grew up in Wheat Ridge, attended and was confirmed at Augustana, graduated from Wheat Ridge High and served a ""hitch"" in the Navy. Bob then enrolled in the Engineering School at CU in Boulder where during his freshman year he met Helen. They were married at ""old"" Augustana and lived in Vetsville for his last term. Bob was forever grateful for the GI Bill that paid for his college education. After graduation, Bob joined Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff (yes, brother of Conrad Bergendoff, President of Rock Island seminary), Consulting Engineers. Bob's assignment as field engineer on the original Denver-Boulder Turnpike was the beginning of a 45+ year career with HNTB. In 1952, Bob moved to Missouri where he supervised construction of two major bridges over the Missouri River. In 1959 Bob supervised the John Blatnik bridge connecting Duluth, MN to Superior, WI thereby establishing himself as a ""big bridge"" engineer, unusual for a boy from arid Colorado. Duluth is doubly dear to us since our daughter, Diane, was born there (but baptized at Augustana). Bob was called to ""Go East, young man"" to build a big bridge over the Delaware south of where George Washington threw his coin. Our ""big"" move was to Rio de Janeiro—a new culture and adventure for all of us. Next stop was New Jersey and its turnpike. In 1991, HNTB moved us back to Denver, the circle was complete. For the first time we moved without Diane who married Jeff. They live in Milford, PA, with our two beautiful grandchildren, Jennifer and Jonathon. As we traveled across the country, Bob served on every church council where we were members and sang in their choirs. This ranged from the small country church to the big city church all within five different synods. We were associate members of the Baptist church in Rio. We survived the changes from the BLACK hymnal, to the RED, to the GREEN, and now the BURGUNDY. WOW! We settled in Wheat Ridge and joined Glory of God – a church with as many major changes in its life as we have had in ours. How fitting we should be here! Bob lost his Father when he was six. He was devoted to his Mother.and family. His character and ethics were above reproach. Once when doing volunteer work in a Wilmington hospital, a patient looked at Helen's name tag and asked ""Are you Bob Swanson's wife?"" The patient was a contractor on the Delaware Memorial Bridge. He then said, ""Bob sure is tough, but he is fair."" True. None of Bob's bridges fell down. And now God has lifted him up.