SWEARINGEN, Lorena (1868-1929)

SWEARINGEN

Posted By: Carol Morrison (email)
Date: 8/3/2006 at 09:42:10

Obituary from the Toledo Chronicle, Toledo, Iowa, Thursday, June 20, 1929, page 9:
"MRS. P. L. SWEARINGEN
Lorena Sheldon Raines, daughter of George and Lorena Raines, was born in La Porte City. The family moved to Toledo about 1873 where the deceased attended school and after her graduation taught several terms of school in Buchanan County, making her home with her sister, Mrs. Alice R. Davies. Returning to Toledo, she was united in marriage with Perry L. Swearingen. Mr. and Mrs. Swearingen were active in the community life, particularly in anything that was of a musical or entertainment character. Here the two daughters were born, Marjorie, now Mrs. Roy Carr, and Kathryne, now Mrs. Dr. Haberly, both of Chicago. Some twenty years ago the family moved to North Bend, Oregon where they established a new home. The failing health of Mr. Swearingen necessitated a change to the middle west, and in the year 1920 the family moved to Beloit, Wisconsin and later to Chicago where Mr. Swearingen died December 26, 1923. Mrs. Swearingen, apparently in full health, and with little premonition, was suddenly stricken with a sickness which required a surgical operation, from which she failed to rally and passed away at 11 o'clock Monday evening, June 10. She leaves surviving her the two daughters above mentioned, her two sons-in-law, to whom she was most deeply attached, and a granddaughter, Kathryn Jean Carr, 6 years of age; also a step-daughter, Mrs. Bernice Davis of Atlanta, Georgia, all of whom attended the funeral services. Of the original Raines family the following are left to mourn: George Raines, a brother, of Hoquiam, Washington; Mrs. Mary Raines Vogel, a sister, of Toledo, Ohio; Mrs. Alice A. Raines Davies, a sister, of Iowa City, and Robert B. Raines, a brother, of Independence, all of whom were present at the funeral except the brother George. A number of relatives and close friends were in attendance at the funeral from Independence and Des Moines. At the funeral services held at 2 o'clock June 13 at the Methodist Church, the pastor, Dr. F. R. Hurlburt, spoke briefly from John XIII:7, and read the obituary sketch. Miss Mary T. Louthan, a lifelong friend of the Raines family, had charge of the music by special request, and sang the solo, "Face to Face" by Johnson. She, with the other members of the quartet, Mrs. Alice Morford, O. G. Smith and R. W. Adair gave also the quartet numbers "Safe in the Arms of Jesus" and "God Will Take Care of You." Many of the older people in Toledo well remember the father of Perry L. Swearingen, the Rev. Richard Swearingen, D.D., who was one of the most prominent Methodist ministers in the Upper Iowa conference, a noted pulpit orator, a great debater upon doctrinal questions, widely known over Iowa as an eloquent preacher upon special occasions, and in great demand as a preacher at camp meetings. A generation ago the Raines family were prominent people in Toledo very well known and distinguished in this part of the state because of their musical ability. The father, the Rev. George Raines, was a retired minister, a very able preacher, a man of fine intellect, most genial in manner and having a large circle of friends. His grandson, the Rev. Richard Raines, and son of Robert Raines of Independence, is now pastor of the Matthewson Street Methodist Episcopal Church in Providence, Rhode Island, one of the largest and strongest Methodist churches in the United States."