1940
Aina
2010
Aina Swanson
September 17, 1940 — November 5, 2010
Aina Metra Swanson, 70, of Moline, passed away on Friday, Nov. 5, 2010, at Pathway Hospice, Trinity Bettendorf, after a courageous battle with cancer.
Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 15 at Esterdahl Mortuary and Crematory, Ltd, 6601 38th Avenue, Moline. Visitation will be Sunday, November 14, 2010 from 3 to 5 p.m. According to Aina's wishes, cremation rites have been accorded. Burial of the cremated remains will be at Oakridge Cemetery in Hillside, Ill. Memorials can be made to the family.
Aina was born Sept. 17, 1940, in Riga, Latvia, the oldest daughter of Evalds Metra and Dr. Sogdiana Tupicins Metra. Her family was displaced from Latvia during WWII, and they lived in displaced persons camps in Germany for about 6 years. In 1950, they were sponsored by a Lutheran church in Lena, Ill. and came to the United States as refugees, settling first in Lena, and later moving to Chicago where her mother was a physician. She graduated from high school in Chicago, and attended Northern Illinois University and Augustana College. She loved the Quad-Cities area and raised two sons, Steve and Chris, here. She was employed as a reading para-professional in the Rock Island school district. She loved to dress up as Mother Goose and the Queen of England to teach and to celebrate the accomplishments of her students.
Aina lived life to the fullest and looked forward to each new adventure. She enjoyed collecting vintage jewelry, reading, volunteering with the United Way and Skip-A-Long Day Care Center, helping as a Russian translator and travelling. She had the opportunity to visit many of the 50 states, Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Europe. She looked forward to her yearly trip to King of Prussia to visit her sister, Ilze. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Moline. Aina credited her friends for keeping her going.
She was preceded in death by her father, mother, and son, Christopher. She is survived by her son, Steve, Chicago; sisters, Ilze Wakeley, King of Prussia, and Irene Konton-Ochs, Chicago; nephew, Dmitri; cousins Maija (Michael) Dreimane Welch, Ruta Neiberg, Gunar (Helene) Zarins, Mark (Maria) Gabryszewski, Tom Gabryszewski, and Karlis Dankbars. She touched the lives of many people and will be missed greatly by family and friends.
Online condolences may be left for Aina's family by visiting her obituary at www.esterdahl.com
Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 15 at Esterdahl Mortuary and Crematory, Ltd, 6601 38th Avenue, Moline. Visitation will be Sunday, November 14, 2010 from 3 to 5 p.m. According to Aina's wishes, cremation rites have been accorded. Burial of the cremated remains will be at Oakridge Cemetery in Hillside, Ill. Memorials can be made to the family.
Aina was born Sept. 17, 1940, in Riga, Latvia, the oldest daughter of Evalds Metra and Dr. Sogdiana Tupicins Metra. Her family was displaced from Latvia during WWII, and they lived in displaced persons camps in Germany for about 6 years. In 1950, they were sponsored by a Lutheran church in Lena, Ill. and came to the United States as refugees, settling first in Lena, and later moving to Chicago where her mother was a physician. She graduated from high school in Chicago, and attended Northern Illinois University and Augustana College. She loved the Quad-Cities area and raised two sons, Steve and Chris, here. She was employed as a reading para-professional in the Rock Island school district. She loved to dress up as Mother Goose and the Queen of England to teach and to celebrate the accomplishments of her students.
Aina lived life to the fullest and looked forward to each new adventure. She enjoyed collecting vintage jewelry, reading, volunteering with the United Way and Skip-A-Long Day Care Center, helping as a Russian translator and travelling. She had the opportunity to visit many of the 50 states, Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Europe. She looked forward to her yearly trip to King of Prussia to visit her sister, Ilze. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Moline. Aina credited her friends for keeping her going.
She was preceded in death by her father, mother, and son, Christopher. She is survived by her son, Steve, Chicago; sisters, Ilze Wakeley, King of Prussia, and Irene Konton-Ochs, Chicago; nephew, Dmitri; cousins Maija (Michael) Dreimane Welch, Ruta Neiberg, Gunar (Helene) Zarins, Mark (Maria) Gabryszewski, Tom Gabryszewski, and Karlis Dankbars. She touched the lives of many people and will be missed greatly by family and friends.
Online condolences may be left for Aina's family by visiting her obituary at www.esterdahl.com
Visitation Details
Sunday, November 14th, 2010, 3:00pm - 5:00pm, Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory
Service Details
Monday, November 15th, 2010, 10:00am, Esterdahl Mortuary & Crematory
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