Ione Marie Swearingen 1930-2012

SWEARINGEN, MEILI, CRAWFORD

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 9/29/2012 at 19:12:46

Sioux City Journal
18 September 2012

SMITHLAND, Iowa | Ione M. Swearingen, 81, of Smithland passed away Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012, at Pleasant View Care Center in Whiting, Iowa.

Services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at United Methodist Church in Hornick, Iowa, with the Rev. Catie Newman and Rev. Karen Handke officiating. Burial will be in Willow Township Cemetery. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. today at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Waterbury Funeral Service in Sergeant Bluff.

Ione was born on Dec. 11, 1930, in Wall, S.D., the daughter of Arthur and Mary (Crawford) Meili. She graduated from Valentine (Neb.) High School on May 19, 1949.

Following her graduation, she was united in marriage to Neal Swearingen in Valentine on the same night. Ione was a farm wife and enjoyed gardening and growing flowers. She worked outside the home in dietary/food service. In 1996, Ione and Neal ran their own cafe in Smithland.

Ione loved to crochet, cane chairs and do handwork/crafts. She enjoyed playing cards, fishing and bird watching. She really enjoyed bingo.

Ione is survived by three sons and their wives, Boyd (Connie) Swearingen of Smithland, Bill (Bonnie) Swearingen of Hinton, Okla., and Wayne (Jackie) Swearingen of Mapleton, Iowa; two daughters, Bethann (Verlyn) Bakker of Sanborn, Iowa, and Dona Swearingen of Moville, Iowa; 18 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; one sister-in-law, Reva Thorpe of Canon City, Colo.; one brother-in-law, Carl Fischer of Buena Vista, Colo.; and two nieces, Marcee (TJ) Henrie of Washington, Utah, Shelia (Bob) Stabe of Altoona, Wis., and a great-niece Bernadene Henrie of Anchorage, Alaska.

Ione was preceded in death by her husband, Neal on March 8, 2012; her parents; a son, Roger Swearingen; a daughter, Betty Robson; a great-granddaughter, Ariel Robson; her brother, Darwin Meili; and her sister, Lucille Ginther.