SWENDENER, CLARENCE AND ZORA

by Mary Swendener

Entry F414 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Clarence and Zora Swendener 50th Wedding Annirversary 1966

Clarence Swendener was born Nov. 25,
1894 at Lenora, Kansas. His father and
Grandfather came from Switzerland. The
name was originally spelled Schwendener
(which means "maker of skiis".) When he got
his naturalization papers, Grandfather
dropped the "ch" from the name.

Clarence married Zora A. Kessler on Feb.
16, 1916 at Lenora, Kansas. She and her
parents had moved to Kansas when she was
quite small. When she was a toddler, crawl-
ing, she fell into a fireplace and burned her
left hand real badly. Her ring finger on that
hand drew and she was unable to straighten
it out the rest of her life.

Two children were born to them. Ray T.,
April 22, 1917 and Stella May, Feb. 4, 1920.

When Ray was small they moved by
covered wagon to north of Whitman where
they worked for John Burr. Zora's sister,
Stella was married to John Burr. They moved
back to Kansas, Colorado Springs and later
back north of Whitman and worked for Fred
Marshall at the DY

After several years they moved north of
Seneca and held dances in an old "soddy" on
the place. They became known as "Ma and
Pa" to everyone.

In 1946 they bought and moved to the
present ranch 14 miles north and east of
Mullen.

Stella May married Cecil Baldwin May 15,
1939. They had four children. Wilford,
Raymond, Shirley and Dale.

Ray married Mary Carr, Dec. 24, 1945.
They had three boys, Eddie, Rodney, and
Theodore.

Clarence passed away June 29, 1972 at
Mullen and is buried in the Mullen Cemetery.

Zora continued living on the place with Ray
operating it along with his own until Sept.
1980 when she moved into Mullen. She
suffered a massive stroke in 1982 and has
been in the Mullen Rest Home ever since.

Almost everywhere they lived they planted
trees which have grown and left a living
Memorial to "Ma and Pa Swendener."