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Who was Mabel?

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Mabel was born in St. Paul Minnesota on  November 27, 1898 to John and Hilda Olson.  She was raised in St. Paul and Lengby Minnesota along with her five brothers and one sister. Being of Swedish decent they spoke Swedish in the home. She was  also baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran church. One of her favorite hymns was “ The Old Rugged Cross.”

She would tell stories of her life growing up in Minnesota. One she shared was about when she was little and climbed up on the china cabinet and tipped it over. She immediately ran outside to gather all the switches she could find before she was found out.

In 1928 she married Elmer Carlson  who lived in Taylor Falls, Minnesota. They moved to Flint Michigan that same year when Elmer found work in the automotive industry. In 1929 they had twin sons, Gerald and Ronald. Three years later they had a daughter, Jeanette. During the depression Elmer would put on heavy clothing with an overcoat to look big so he would get hired. He would work delivering coal during layoffs. Mabel would sew dresses for Jeanette with matching panties and would also knit and crochet hats, mittens and scarves. Later, Mabel was a seamstress at McDougals draperies in Flint. She raised her kids to treat others as you would like to be treated, not to be two faced and would allow absolutely no swearing in the home. She didn’t like  crude words, so she would make up a word to use in its place.

After their children left and started families of their own. They remained in Flint in  their  home, with a small backyard and a rose garden. When they would get company and some point during the visit Elmer would say something to Mabel in Swedish and she would go to the kitchen and start preparing something to eat. Soon she would wheel out her wooden serving cart with coffee, cheese and crackers, or cookies. Elmer and Mabel would speak Swedish now and then especially  when it was something they didn’t want someone else to hear.

Elmer died in 1981 and  Mabel died in 1991.

All who knew her would best describe her as sweet, would rarely complain, devoted to her family , always putting others needs ahead of her own.