Brad Swenson, former Bemidji editor, dies at 57

BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) — Brad Swenson, former political editor of The Pioneer of Bemidji, died Sunday. He was 57.

The newspaper reports that a friend found Swenson dead in his home. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Swenson, who started working in The Pioneer's editorial department in 1980, retired last July for medical reasons.

Swenson worked for the newspaper as a reporter, managing editor, political editor, editorial writer and columnist. He earned numerous awards, including three Frank Premack Public Affairs Journalism Awards and the Ag Communicator of the Year Award from the Minnesota Farm Bureau.

The Cease Family Funeral Home says his memorial service will be at 1 p.m., Monday, July 30 at First Lutheran Church in Bemidji with burial at Lakeview Cemetery in Two Harbors.

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