SWANSON, GRACE BERTHA HARRIET

SWANSON, LANGE, HARBRON, HAWKINS, FARHRENKROG, DE WITT

Posted By: Richard Carstensen (email)
Date: 1/19/2003 at 15:56:04

Grace Swanson
1915 - 2003

Grace Bertha Harriet Harbron Swanson died Friday, Jan. 10, 2003, at Westwing Place, DeWitt.
She was born Jan. 6, 1915, in Clinton, to George Edward and Olga Anna Marie Lange Harbron. Grace attended the Clinton Public Schools where she graduated from Clinton High School in 1932. She was employed at the Clinton Credit Bureau and the Clinton Teachers Agency. On March 2, 1935, she married Bennie Swanson and moved out into the country and became a farm wife where they raised four children.
Grace was active as a 4-H leader for many years and was an Honorary 4-H member. She was a member of the Farm Bureau and was active in extension work. Grace was a township chairman and later served as Clinton County Women’s Chairman. For many years she competed in the flower show at the Clinton County 4-H Club Show and in later years served as a judge for the flower show.
She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, DeWitt, serving as Ladies Aid President and was a member of the Altar Guild and president of Miriam Circle. She worked on the bazaar committee for several years.
Grace especially enjoyed Miriam Circle and working on preserving records and pictures of Grace Lutheran Church.
Her hobby was china painting. She attended many shows and won many honors. She served as historian for the Eastern Iowa China Painters, studied china painting at a seminar at Santa Barbara College, Santa Barbara, Calif., and taught china painting for many years.
She and her husband, Bennie, retired in 1975 from the farm and built a new home in DeWitt, where they moved to on Jan. 18, 1976. She enjoyed retirement and living in town once again. She took up her time playing golf, bridge and of course, her painting.
Survivors include her husband, Bennie; three daughters, Carol Hawkins, Chandler, Ariz., Jan ( Walter) Farhrenkrog, Eldridge, and Mary Jo (Dick) Kelly, DeWitt; a son, Pete (Linda) Swanson, Maquoketa; seven grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; 13 step-great-grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; cousins; nieces; and nephews.
Grace was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Doris; a half-sister, Marie; a brother,Ralph; a half-brother, Leonard; and a step-great-grandson.
Funeral services will be 10:30 Tuesday at Grace Lutheran Church, DeWitt, with the Rev. Keith Speaks officiating. Burial will be in Clinton Lawn Cemetery.
Visitation is 4-7 p.m. Monday at Schultz Funeral Home, DeWitt. Pallbearers will be Vernon Ericksen, Roland Niemann, William Lambert, John Williams, Roger Hill and Richard Walker.
Published in the Quad-City Times on 1/12/2003.