Vivian Luce^{[1, 2, 3]}

1901 - 1979  (77 years)

• Name	Vivian Luce  [4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]
  Born	17 Nov 1901	Big Piney, Sublette, Wyoming   [1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14]
  	age 37 in 1940
  Gender	Female
  Residence	1910	New Fork, Fremont, Wyoming   [6]
  Residence	27 Apr 1910	New Fork, Fremont, Wyoming
  Residence	1920	Fremont, Wyoming   [7]
  Residence	30 Jan 1920	Fremont, Wyoming
  	Address: Election District 13
  Residence	1930	Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming   [5]
  	Address: 602 B .Street
  Residence	10 Apr 1930	Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming
  	Address: 602 B .Street
  Residence	1931	Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming   [10]
  Residence	1935	Farson, Sweetwater, Wyoming   [9]
  Residence	1940	Farson, Sweetwater, Wyoming   [9]
  Died	19 Jun 1979	Heber City, Wasatch, Utah   [2, 8, 11, 13, 14]
  	of diabetic cirrhosis
  Burial	23 Jun 1979	Eden, Sweetwater, Wyoming   [2, 15]
  	Address: Eden Valley Cemetery
  Buried	23 Jun 1979	Eden, Sweetwater, Wyoming   [2, 11, 15]
  	Address: Eden Valley Cemetery
  Person ID	I371	Swanstrom
  Last Modified	9 Nov 2021

  
  

  Married	24 Oct 1898	Champaign, Champaign, Illinois   [1, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21]
  Family ID	F215	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Harry William Swanstrom,   b. 1 Dec 1903, Chetek, Barron, Wisconsin ,   d. 8 Feb 1957, Farson, Sweetwater, Wyoming  (Age 53 years)
  Married	2 Aug 1927	Rawlins, Carbon, Wyoming   [1, 22]
  	Address: Methodist Church
  Children	1. Charles Edward Swanstrom,   b. 20 Dec 1932, Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming ,   d. 20 Dec 1932, Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming  (Age 0 years)   2. Harvey William Swanstrom,   b. 5 Oct 1934, Pinedale, Sublette, Wyoming ,   d. 5 Oct 1934, Pinedale, Sublette, Wyoming  (Age 0 years)   3. Living   4. Living   5. Harry Wallace Swanstrom,   b. 26 Sep 1939, Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming ,   d. 27 Feb 2018, Natchitoches, Natchitoches, Louisiana  (Age 78 years)
  Last Modified	8 Dec 2021
  Family ID	F218	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos		Vivian Luce Swanstrom
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

  
  

• Notes

  Vivian (Luce) Swanstrom (1901-1979). She was a Registered Nurse. She was named Vivian for her grandmother Wilson's best friend. She was very short, 4'11." She had dark auburn hair, like her mother, and green eyes. She attended Miss Wolcott School, an Episcopal finishing school in Denver, Colorado. Her subjects included French, needlework, art, music and elocution. About 1916 she was a debutante, but it now seems impossible to discover where or with what organization. During the 1880s, Cheyenne was regarded as the "wealthiest city per capita in the world" so any number of organizations could have organized debutante balls which carried over to the early part of this century. On the other hand, she might have come out under the sponsorship of the Central City Opera Company in Colorado. In June 1918 she began studying music at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. She wanted to be an actress, but her parents forbade it. Her second choice of career was nursing, but her parents also opposed that. Her parents maneuvered her into four successive engagements with wealthy local boys, one a Hamilton and one Lloyd Alexander, but she broke each engagement. Vivian left home in 1924, taking a stage coach from Big Piney via Opal to Rock Springs. In Rock Springs she boarded with Josephine Swanstrom at 311 Gale Street. She thought that the chances of becoming a nurse would be better if she could get a job, any job, in the hospital. She applied, hoping to get a job in the kitchen. The hospital was short of nurses and counter-offered with a training job, which she gladly accepted. In May 1927 she graduated from nurse's training at Rock Springs General Hospital. On her graduation day, her childhood friend Harry Swanstrom surprised her by appearing in the audience. He had been in the army and just been released. One of Vivian's prized possessions was her new DeSoto Roadster, a gift from her father. It was yellow with red wheels. In August, she took a day-trip to Rawlins with some friends in this car. The friends included her best-friend Mabel Eberle, Harry Swanstrom, and others. The friends dared Vivian and Harry to get married, which they did. They immediately decided to keep the marriage a secret until it could be annulled. Worried that someone might get suspicious, Harry spent the afternoon walking with Vivian's friend Mabel in the park. It was too late to return to Rock Springs, so they took a room in a local boarding house. Vivian and Mabel shared the room, while Harry slept downstairs on the couch. When they returned to Rock Springs the following day, they continued to live apart, but neither took steps to have the marriage annulled. By 1932 the Great Depression had begun. They were both having a hard time making ends meet. They met by chance on the street one day, started talking, and decided that the best thing to do would be to announce their marriage and move in together. This they did. "Mrs. Swanstrom is planning on spending the holidays with her mother and brothers at Rock Springs" (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Dec. 22, 1927). "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Swanstrom went to Rock Springs Saturday. Mrs. Swanstrom will remain there for a visit, but Mr. Swanstrom returned. He is connected with the State Highway Department (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Dec. 8, 1932). "Miss Shirley Luce visited her sister Mrs. Harry Swanstrom last week. We are glad to report that Mrs. Swanstrom is much better now" (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Nov. 15, 1934). "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Swansstrom went to Fresno, California on Saturday to spend a short vacation with Mr. Swanstrom's sister Mrs. George Hinkle there. Mrs. Hinkle was Miss Ellen Swanstrom and taught in Sublette County a few years ago (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Dec. 27, 1934). "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Swanstrom left Daniel, Sunday to occupy their ranch at Farson" (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Apr. 4, 1935). "We were sorry to hear that Harry Swanstrom is suffering a broken leg and a sprained ankle" (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Apr. 11, 1935). "Friends have received cards announcing the birth of a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Swanstrom at Farson on June 6th (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. June 18, 1936). Vivian worked as a Registered Nurse and Director of Nurses for the hospital in Rock Springs for many years. Her husband died in 1957. In 1959 she resolved a long-standing confusion with the federal government, receiving a quit claim deed to 160 acres (the West one-half of the Northwest one-quarter and the North one-half of the Southwest one-quarter of Section 17 Township 25 North, Range 125 West). She sold the farm about 1964 and moved to Rock Springs. About 1966 she went to work for the hospital in Rawlins, Wyoming, then retired about 1968, and took a trip of several months to Alaska. After retirement, Vivian lived with her daughter Betty Bigler in Heber, Utah. She died of diabetic cirrhosis there in 1979, and was buried beside her husband in Farson, Wyoming. She was an Episcopalian and a Republican. Vivian Luce was a 7th cousin of her contemporary, Henry Robinson Luce, co-founder of Time-Life Publications. She was a 4th cousin of her less famous contemporary, Paul Mallory, manager of the White Horse Acres farm near Lexington, Kentucky, who foaled Seattle Slew (Violette). She was also a step second counsin of Mormon mystic Annalee Skarin, who was a granddaughter of William Adams Hickman. -- MERGED NOTE ------------ She was a Registered Nurse. She was named for her grandmother Wilson's best friend. She was very short, 4'11." She had dark auburn hair, like her mother, and green eyes. She attended Miiss Wolcott School, an Episcopal finishing school in Denver, Colorado. Her subjects included French, needlework, art, music and elocution. About 1916 she was a debutante, but it now seems impossible to discover where or with what organization. During the 1880s, Cheyenne was regarded as the "wealthiest city per capita in the world" so any number of organizations could have organized debutante balls which carried over to the early part of this century. On the other hand, she might have come out under the sponsorship of the Central City Opera Company in Colorado. In June 1918 she began studying music at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. She wanted to be an actress, but her parents forbade it. Her second choice of career was nursing, but her parents also opposed that. Her parents maneuvered her into four successive engagements with wealthy local boys, one a Hamilton and one Lloyd Alexander, but she broke each engagement. Vivian left home in 1924, taking a stage coach from Big Piney via Opal to Rock Springs. In Rock Springs she boarded with Josephine Swanstrom at 311 Gale Street. She thought that the chances of becoming a nurse would be better if she could get a job, any job, in the hospital. She applied, hoping to get a job in the kitchen. The hospital was short of nurses and counter-offered with a training job, which she gladly accepted. In May 1927 she graduated from nurse's training at Rock Springs General Hospital. On her graduation day, her childhood friend Harry Swanstrom surprised her by appearing in the audience. He had been in the army and just been released. One of Vivian's prized possessions was her new DeSoto Roadster, a gift from her father. It was yellow with red wheels. In August, she took a day-trip to Rawlins with some friends in this car. The friends included her best-friend Mabel Eberle, Harry Swanstrom, and others. The friends dared Vivian and Harry to get married, which they did. They immediately decided to keep the marriage a secret until it could be annulled. Worried that someone might get suspicious, Harry spent the afternoon walking with Vivian's friend Mabel in the park. It was too late to return to Rock Springs, so they took a room in a local boarding house. Vivian and Mabel shared the room, while Harry slept downstairs on the couch. When they returned to Rock Springs the following day, they continued to live apart, but neither took steps to have the marriage annulled. By 1932 the Great Depression had begun. They were both having a hard time making ends meet. They met by chance on the street one day, started talking, and decided that the best thing to do would be to announce their marriage and move in together. This they did. "Mrs. Swanstrom is planning on spending the holidays with her mother and brothers at Rock Springs." (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Dec. 22, 1927). "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Swanstrom went to Rock Springs Saturday. Mrs. Swanstrom will remain there for a visit, but Mr. Swanstrom returned. He is connected with the State Highway Department. (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Dec. 8, 1932). "Miss Shirley Luce visited her sister Mrs. Harry Swanstrom last week. We are glad to report that Mrs. Swanstrom is much better now." (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Nov. 15, 1934). "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Swansstrom went to Fresno, California on Saturday to spend a short vacation with Mr. Swanstrom's sister Mrs. George Hinkle there. Mrs. Hinkle was Miss Ellen Swanstrom and taught in Sublette County a few years ago. (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Dec. 27, 1934). "Mr. and Mrs. Harry Swanstrom left Daniel, Sunday to occupy their ranch at Farson." (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Apr. 4, 1935). "We were sorry to hear that Harry Swanstrom is suffering a broken leg and a sprained ankle." (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. Apr. 11, 1935). "Friends have received cards announcing the birth of a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Swanstrom at Farson on June 6th. (Pinedale Roundup, Pinedale, Wyo., Thurs. June 18, 1936). Vivian worked as a Registered Nurse and Director of Nurses for the hospital in Rock Springs for many years. Her husband died in 1957. In 1959 she resolved a long-standing confusion with the federal government, receiving a quit claim deed to 160 acres (the West one-half of the Northwest one-quarter and the North one-half of the Southwest one-quarter of Section 17 Township 25 North, Range 125 West). She sold the farm about 1964 and moved to Rock Springs. About 1966 she went to work for the hospital in Rawlins, Wyoming, then retired about 1968, and took a trip of several months to Alaska. After retirement, Vivian lived with her daughter Betty Bigler in Heber, Utah. She died of diabetic cirrhosis there in 1979, and was buried beside her husband in Farson, Wyoming. She was an Episcopalian and a Republican. Vivian Luce was a 7th cousin of her contemporary, Henry Robinson Luce, co-founder of Time-Life Publications. She was a 4th cousin of her less famous contemporary, Paul Mallory, manager of the White Horse Acres farm near Lexington, Kentucky, who foaled Seattle Slew (Violette). She was also a step second counsin of Mormon mystic Annalee Skarin, who was a granddaughter of William Adams Hickman.

  
  

• Sources

  [S641] Vivian Swanstrom (1979). [S637] Death record, Vivian Swanstrom, Utah 143-79-03661. [S1999] Gary Violette (2009). [S2] U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, Number: 520-34-7848; Issue State: Wyoming; Issue Date: Before 1951. [S6] 1930 United States Federal Census, Year: 1930; Census Place: Rock Springs, Sweetwater, Wyoming; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0005; FHL microfilm: 2342359. [S8] 1910 United States Federal Census, Year: 1910; Census Place: Olson, Fremont, Wyoming; Roll: T624_1745; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0061; FHL microfilm: 1375758. [S3] 1920 United States Federal Census, Year: 1920; Census Place: Election District 13, Fremont, Wyoming; Roll: T625_2026; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 56. [S2] U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index, Master File. [S88] 1940 United States Federal Census, Year: 1940; Census Place: Farson, Sweetwater, Wyoming; Roll: m-t0627-04576; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 19-30. [S78] U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995. [S1522] U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current. [S1490] U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995. [S1158] Social Security Death Index. [S1912] SSDI. [S836] Justin Swanstrom (2007). [S1] 1900 United States Federal Census, Year: 1900; Census Place: Abbey, Fremont, Wyoming; Page: 3; Enumeration District: 0030; FHL microfilm: 1241826. [S341] Marriage record, Luce-Wilson, Champaign County 5:62. [S256] Illinois, Marriage Index, 1860-1920. [S241] Illinois, County Marriage Records, 1800-1940. [S1595] Illinois, U.S., Marriage Index, 1860-1920. [S1596] Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-1940. [S341] Marriage record, Swanstrom-Luce, Carbon County, G:314.