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(Sent to all contacts)
 CHAMPAIGN — Burton E. Swanson, Champaign, passed away on April 23, 2020,following a long illness. Burt was born Nov. 28, 1939, in Bureau County, Ill., the son of Harlan and Evelyn (Wessel) Swanson. Full obituary.
He is survived by his wife, Iris (Arend-Frillman); daughter, Anne Swanson; son, David (Sally); granddaughters, Sophia and Alyssa; his brother, Roger Swanson; and Iris' family, Leslie (Alan) Rankin, Jamie (Brian) Shamhart, Scott (Christine) Frillman, grandsons Miles and Seth Rankin, Nicholas, Jason and Will Frillman and Cole Shamhart. Also surviving are nephews, Ronald (Dawn) Swanson and Peter (Connie) Swanson, and great-nieces and great-nephew, Betsy, Erica, Veronica, Nicole, Natalie and Nate Swanson.
Burt grew up on the family farm near Princeton, Ill., and graduated from Bureau Township High School in 1957 in a class of eight. He attended Illinois State University and then the University of Illinois, where he received his B.S. in agricultural education in 1961.
At the University of Illinois, he was a professor of rural development in the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) and director of INTERPAKS (International Program for Agricultural Knowledge Systems), directing and teaching a series of short courses for international participants from around the world. He was also a senior fellow for International Service for National Agricultural Research at The Hague.
A gathering to celebrate Burt's life will be held at a later date. Shrader Funeral Home in Arcola is handling arrangements.
An international study-abroad scholarship, The Burt Swanson Scholarship In Rural Development, has been established in his memory. For questions about the scholarship, contact Matthew Smith at msmi@illinois.edu. To make a gift, send it to University of Illinois Foundation, P.O. Box 734500, Chicago, IL 60673, fund #11774812. Online, go to www.uif.uillinois.edu/give (fund #11774812).
Our thoughts and prayers are sent to his family. Condolences can be sent to:
Family of Burt Swanson
3407 Mill Creek Ct., Unit 2
Champaign, IL 61822
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Dean Dittmar
Facilitating Coordination in Ag Education (FCAE)
Phone: 217-893-0091 Cell: 618-604-1622
Email: ddittmar@ILAgEd.org
Address: 3358 Big Pine Trail , Champaign, IL 61822
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