Six Canton graduates honored for community contributions
By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Special to The Post
CANTON -- In the spring of 1931, Canton High senior Arthur Sweeton wanted to go to college. But he was also a realist. His parents, Art and Helen, ran a farm in Canton Center and there was little money left over for a college education.
But that didn't stop Collinsville High Principal Albert Bowdoin from pushing his student. He encouraged Sweeton to apply for a spot at Yale University. He resisted a bit. "My parents thought they couldn't afford it," Sweeton recalled.
Sweeton had the grades and Yale provided a scholarship. He graduated with a degree in civil engineering, which enabled him to work for the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) for more than 43 years and serve the water needs of residents across Connecticut.
Sweeton was one of six Canton High School graduates honored last week in the fourth annual Canton Wall of Fame induction ceremonies. The six graduates were recognized as individuals who have shown leadership in their community and in their field.
Marie Viering (class of 1938), Roy Olson (1945), Carl Svenson (1945), Stan Krzanowski (1960) and Robert Gerath (1962) were also honored.
"This was an unexpected honor," Sweeton said. He didn't partake in sports at Collinsville High in the early 1930s. "There were plenty of chores to do on the farm, milk cows, chase cows from the pasture and chop wood. Canton Center and North Canton were farming communities in those days."
Marie Viering's late husband, Donald, was inducted in the initial Wall of Fame class in 2002. Marie was honored for her work as assistant tax collector and tax collector in Canton.
She started the Christian education program at Trinity Episcopal Church with Donald and was a member of Canton Benefits Production. She played basketball at Canton High in the 1930s and was also a cheerleader.
A few weeks ago, Marie, 86, fell, fracturing her arm and suffering a compression fracture in her back. She delayed treatment because she wanted to attend the dinner. But the morning of the ceremony, the pain was too much and she checked into a hospital. Still, her friends and family beamed at the dinner with pride with her induction.
Olson was a top-notch athlete at Canton High, lettering in football, basketball and baseball. He served in the U.S. Marines, received a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from WPI in 1951 and returned home to work for the Collins Company.
On his first day, he showed up in a suit and tie and was promptly sent home. It was the wrong attire for inspecting a dirty, greasy hydroelectric generator that generated electricity from the waters of the Farmington River.
But Olson did well at the Collins Company in the engineering department, rising to the position of assistant to the president by 1965, when the company left town. He helped establish manufacturing plants in Central and South America. He later worked with the Torrington Company where he was a corporate director of plant engineering and with the Turri Company.
In town, he was equally busy serving as a deacon and on numerous committees at the Collinsville Congregational Church, a trustee of the Collinsville Savings Society, a charter member of the Collinsville Fire Department, a scoutmaster in Troop 77 in the early 1960s and with the Masons for 50 years.
Svenson was honored post-humously since he died in 2002. He served as registrar of voters for 28 years (1964-2002). He was president of the Canton Historical Museum for 10 years and was superintendent at Collinsville Congregational Church, in charge of religious education for 20 years. He was a member in Cawasa Grange for more than 50 years and treasurer of the state Grange for 25 years. He spent 12 years as town historian in Canton.
"He was a very loyal resident," said Linea Erickson, who accepted on behalf of Svenson. "He was always willing to drive anyone anywhere. And was always good for a laugh."
His service to Canton began early in his life. His family used to run the theater at the town hall in the 1930s and 1940s. He would sell tickets, popcorn, run the projector and clean up afterward.
"You could take him out of Collinsville, but you couldn't take Collinsville out of him," Erickson said.
Baseball has been a big part of Stan Krzanowski's life. Stan and his brother were among the first Canton children to play Little League baseball in 1950 on River Road where the storage units sit today. He played on district champion Little League team and on a state championship baseball team at Canton High in 1959.
When his children began participating in Little League in the 1970s, he joined in and hasn't left. He has been president of Canton Little League for over 20 years and helped start the youth softball program in town.
Over the years, Canton's Little League has sponsored a Babe Ruth, Connie Mack team and an American Legion baseball team.
"I love the game and I love to see kids playing and getting a chance to play," he said. "I have always found it very satisfying, challenging and rewarding to see the kids play the game. It's not all about winning and losing. It's seeing that the kids participate."
Gerath had the longest trip. He is currently a civil engineer in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a speciality in landslide prediction and analysis for emergency planning purposes and building permits.
Colleague Calvin Van BusKirk of TerraTech Consulting said, "Many consider Bob Gerath as one of the Jedi Masters of landslide investigations."
Gerath called himself an indifferent student at CHS, but he was also interested in rocks and minerals. "I wanted to become a glacial geologist," he said.
He is considered one of the leaders in his field. He has developed essential probability protocols for quantifying risk assessment for geological events such as landslides or earthquakes that could impact bridges, trestles, buildings and other structures.
