Douglas Vance Swanson

Douglas Vance Swanson, of Upsala Minnesota, passed away peacefully in his home on Thursday, April 16, 2026, with his beloved wife, Beth, by his side.
Douglas “Doug” was born on March 28, 1956 to James and Yvonne (Schultz) Swanson in Little Falls. He was the third of three children and loved spending time with his brother Dan and sister Carmen. Growing up in Bloomington, MN, they lived for the weekends when they would travel to Upsala, where Yvonne played the piano at Gethsemane Lutheran Church on Sunday mornings, and time was spent with both sets of Doug’s grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Summertime brought numerous fishing trips on the many lakes surrounding them; they would then fry up the fresh fish on the shore for lunch. In his junior year of high school, he moved in with his Grandpa George Schultz, in Upsala. The move brought a new love for outdoor sporting adventures. In the fall he was an avid hunter, chasing deer, ducks, grouse and anything else that he could hunt. In the summer he would be up before dawn to make it out to his favorite fishing hole. In the heat of the summer he would slalom and barefoot ski alongside cousins and friends.
Doug graduated from Upsala High School, attended one year at the Free Lutheran Bible College and enjoyed singing in their traveling choir while there. He then went on to earn an AAS Degree in Carpentry from the St. Cloud Technical College. He met the love of his life, Beth Knudtson, at a Bible Camp one summer. He immediately knew that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and married Beth on June 12, 1982 at Trinity Lutheran Church of Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis. The couple moved to Burnsville where Doug worked as a carpenter. Shortly after, with a loan from his dad, Doug built his first house. The house became one of many that he and Beth would live in until the next one was built and move-in-ready. Naming his company Tamarack Builders, LLC, he built personal homes in Burnsville, Savage, Lakeville, and Upsala in addition to the houses he built all over metro and rural Minnesota. All the while his family grew. In 1999, he, Beth and their seven children moved to the Schultz farm house near Upsala while their dream home was being built on Pine Lake. This is where their eighth child was born. They moved into their new home in late 2000, where two more children were born to complete their family of 12. His children were everything to him as he took time to teach each child one or more of the many talents and skills he had developed. Whether it was taking his young sons afield hunting, taking his daughters out fishing, or teaching anyone that was willing, how to water ski.
Doug worked hard his entire life, rarely taking days off for himself. One vacation he began to go on with his family, in 1995, was to Canada on a week-long camping trip. They joined Jim and Yvonne, Dan and Marla, Carmen and Carl along with their children, in the fun of catching those monster Northern Pike in August! The trip moved to July in later years for the fantastic Walleye fishing Lake of the Woods had to offer. Doug also loved deer hunting and looked forward to it every fall. It was a cherished tradition he shared with his family, filled with stories, early mornings, and time spent together in the woods. He never missed the opener, prepping late into the night and up so early to get out to that spot he had scouted weeks earlier. He happened to choose the stand farthest from where the truck was parked, hands down. Perhaps that is why he has the biggest and most shoulder mounts of anyone hanging in his basement!
Doug had a strong Christian faith that led him to actively serve in each of the churches he attended. He taught Sunday School and served on many committees. He made sure he took the time to instill his Godly values in his family. He shared about Jesus with anyone who would listen. Doug also loved music! Especially hymns, praise and worship songs, or any faith-based music.
He is survived by his wife Beth; 5 daughters, Kari (Steve) Wolbeck of Maple Lake, Jennifer (Matthew Sterzinger) Swanson, Greta (Dustin) Biniek, Amy (Mike) Hagen and Marta (Mitch Wuebkers) Swanson all of Upsala; 5 sons, Andrew (Bailey) of Watford City, ND, Joseph (Angela) of Albany, Micah (Melody) of St. Cloud, Timothy and Seth, both of Upsala; his brother Dan (Marla) Swanson of Upsala and his sister, Carmon (Carl) Benson of Elk Mound, WI; his sister-in-law Kris (Gary) Temte of Bloomington; sister-in-law Chris Knudtson of Upsala and 17 grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents Jim and Yvonne Swanson; infant daughter Ann Swanson; infant granddaughter, Ivy Swanson, and brother-in-law Craig Knudtson.
There will be a Celebration of Life at 10:00 am Friday, April 24, 2026 at the Word of Life Free Lutheran Church in Upsala. A 9:00 am visitation will precede the 10:00 am service with a luncheon to follow.