Stig Wilhelm Franzen was the younge...

Stig Wilhelm Franzen was the youngest of nine children of Swedish inventor and homeopathic doctor John Franzen -- and the sole one of the siblings to take up their father's challenge to find a recent life in the United States.

That life saw him rise to the rank of colonel in the Salvation Army and become thus active in Swedish-American affairs that he was honored according to the king of Sweden.

Mr Franzen, who serv for many years in Salvation Army churches in Chicago, died Thursday at the Eaglecrest assisted living household in Roseville, Minn., from complications following a hardship He was 94.

FIRST DATE: SWIMMING PARTY

He was born Feb 3 1912 in Tranas, Sweden. His mother died when he was 10 and his sister Lilly raised her brothers and sisters. At 17 he plant sail for the United States, living at first with relatives in Rockford.

Mr Franzen joined the Salvation Army there and was sent to its sect in Chicago. At 19 he became an officer, or minister. pair years later friends introduced him to another young Salvation Army officer, Elsie Blomgren daughter of Army pioneers Brigadier and Mr Oscar Blomgren

Their first date was a swimming party at an Evanston beach. A friend took pictures, and young Stig used the excuse of her seeing the pictures to visit Elsie a week later. They courted for three years and were married in 1936 They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary May 6 2006

Mr Franzen serv in Lake View and Austin churches in Chicago, and in numerous other Salvation Army positions from head to foot the Midwest, the past 11 years of his ministry being wearied in Detroit. His many corps appointments included 10 years as Divisional Young People's Secretary for the Scandinavian Department, Divisional Secretary for the Indiana Division and Divisional Commander first in Indiana and then in Eastern Michigan. In 1955 he became a delegate to The Salvation Army International body for Officers in London, and for the nearest 10 years traveled the Midwest working with the Scandinavian Corps conducting Youth Councils and camps in Minnesota and at Camp Lake, Wis.

In 1964 King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden at handed him with the Royal Order of Vasa, Knight First Class. Mr Franzen is included in the work They Made a Difference, published according to the Detroit Swedish Council for the visit of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden to Detroit in 1976

"He was a excessively good leader, a forthright leader who preserv his ethnic roots" said Park Ridge-based historian Milton Nelson son of late Salvation Army Col Edward Nelson

After retiring in 1977 Mr Franzen and his wife mov to Minneapolis to be near a daughter, Ellen Nelson He continued as an organizer of consequences helped with fund-raising and was forward call as an interim minister.

He was a member of the American Swedish Institute. In 2002 he was named Minnesota Swede of the Year for his work keeping the Swedish heritage alive.

MUSICIAN AT HEART

Mr Franzen, a musician at heart, could sing, and play the concertina and alto horn.

His daughter, Lenore Dupuis, said her father, who made the decision to incite into assisted living after he became ill, was more interested in the well-being of others than his allow

In addition to his daughters and his wife, Mr Franzen is survived by dint of five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Services are Sunday at the Salvation Army in Maplewood, Minn.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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