Background
Swensson was born at the Snollebo Östregård farm in Våthult parish, Jönköping County in Sweden. He was the son of church-warden Sven Månsson and his wife Katharina Jonasdotter.
Swensson was born at the Snollebo Östregård farm in Våthult parish, Jönköping County in Sweden. He was the son of church-warden Sven Månsson and his wife Katharina Jonasdotter.
He attended high school at Växjö and studied theology at the University of Uppsala.
He was ordained at Växjö Cathedral on October 8, 1851. His Swedish pastoral service was at Unnaryd, situated in Hylte Municipality, Halland County, Sweden (1851–1856). After serving as secretary of the church for several years, he was president of the Augustana Synod from 1870 to his death in 1873.
Both Jonas and Maria Swensson were buried at Andover Jenny Lind in Henry County, Illinois.