frieda

Frieda N. Swald

(1868-1941)

Frieda N. Swald was the original owner of the land and property that make up what is now Camp Friedenswald, a Christian camping facility associated with the Central District Conferece of Mennonite Church USA.  Frieda was the daughter of Thurston E. Swald and his first wife Helen (Worthington) Swald.  Frieda's father Thurston amassed a large fortune through his establishment of the Greater Midwestern Steel and Iron Works company.  Much of this fortune was passed on to Miss Swald after Thurston's death in October of 1918.

Frieda joined her fortune with that of Jonathan T. Brooks, a wealthy railroad tycoon of the late 19th and early 20th century, when they married in the spring of 1921.  Brooks' main ventures included large stocks in the Union-Pacific railroads as well as close personal and business ties with the Vanderbilt railroad empire.  Brooks died in the 1937 from Pneumonia.  Frieda and Brooks never had children and Frieda was left with massive amounts of money during the heart of the great depression.  Swald put her money to good use and was known as a generous philanthropist throughout the Midwest.

Frieda N. Swald died tragically in 1941 citing in her will the dispensation of all her earthly goods to several charities and her property to the central and middle districts of the General Conference Mennonite Church to build a camp, which became Camp Friedenswald (in memorial to her and also meaning "peaceful woods" in German) in 1950.  Much of Frieda's wealth is rumored to be unaccounted for and is suspected to be hidden somewhere on the property which is now Camp Friedenswald.

Camp Friedenswald, nor central district conference of Mennonite Church USA can validate any of the above material.