Ellen (Swedberg) Agre

Ellen Violet Agre (nee Swedberg) passed away on Dec. 20, 2021 after two years of declining health. Born on February 9, 1925 in Milbank SD, Ellen was one of nine children of Joseph and Clara Annetta Swedberg. Raised on the family farm near Twin Brooks, Ellen was only 10 when her mother died and foreclosure forced the family to relocate. Ellen graduated from Bellingham (MN) HS in 1943 and moved to St Paul to work in a department store while living with her grandmother and two uncles. She met her future husband, Courtland Agre, a young chemistry professor, at a church retreat for young adults at a camp on the St. Croix River. They were married in August 1946 and had six children (Annetta Gardner, Peter, James, Paul, Ruth, and Mark), ten grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren. A lover of classical religious music and blessed with a beautiful singing voice, Ellen sang in church choirs. She was a wonderful mother, reading classical stories to her children every evening and instilling in them a passion for learning. An active supporter for the special needs of developmentally disabled children, Ellen felt talents are a gift that should be used to benefit the less fortunate, and personal success should be accepted with humility -- lessons she passed on to the younger generations. Preceded in death by her siblings, her husband, Court, and her daughter, Ruth, Ellen will be missed by so very many.

In the interest of public health, no services are planned at this time.