Obituary of Svea F. Hjalmarson

Svea Florens Hjalmarson, 98, of 175 Aldren Avenue, Jamestown, New York, passed away peacefully on April 4, 2016. Ms. Hjalmarson was born on June 20, 1917, in Jamestown, the daughter of Otto H. Hjalmarson and Adelia A. Hjalmarson, who had immigrated to the United States from Sweden a few years earlier. She was confirmed at First Mission Swedish Church (now known as First Covenant Church) in 1931, and graduated from Jamestown High School in 1935. Ms. Hjalmarson had a remarkable career in elementary education. She received her preliminary teaching certificate in 1939, received a bachelor's degree in education in 1946 from SUNY State Teacher's College at Plattsburg, and received a masters degree in elementary education in 1958 from SUNY Fredonia. She continued her education with several additional class over the years at SUNY Fredonia. Ms. Hjalmarson's teaching career included teaching in a one room school house, where one of her duties included starting the wood burning stove to heat the classroom. She subsequently taught grades 3-6, the same time, at Charles Street School. As one student later wrote, by the time you graduated from Ms. Hjalmarson's class after attending three years, there was very little that she did not know about you. The majority of her time was spent teaching second grade students. She retired in 1979, from Persell Middle School, after having taught for a total of forty years. Svea was an avid golfer and continued golfing into her 90's. She was also an active swimmer, accomplished sewer, and a great cook. She enjoyed playing bridge, and traveling to Sweden, China, Europe, and elsewhere. She was a member of First Covenant Church for over 90 years. Svea was predeceased by her parents, her sister Margaret Pickard, and her niece Ann Nolloth. She is survived by her youngest sister, Esther Goodell, and niece and nephews John (Gail) Pickard, Rockmart, Georgia; David (April) Goodell, Seattle, Washington; Thomas Goodell, St. Petersburg, Russia; Andrew (Lisa) Goodell, Jamestown, New York; Max (Jennine) Pickard, Jamestown, New York; J. Richard (Amy) Goodell, Rexford, New York; Meg Pickard, Bemus Point, New York; and Daniel Goodell, Hamburg, New York. She is also survived by many grand and great-grand nieces and nephews. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Lind Funeral Home where friends will be received for one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the First Covenant Church, 520 Spring Street, Jamestown, New York 14701. You may leave words of condolence at www.lindfuneralhome.com.