Owen SWEENY

SWEENY, BIER, BEEK, LARSEN, LOWERY, ERICKSON, JOHNSON, ECKHART, MOFFETT

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/13/2010 at 10:41:09

01/12/2010
Belmond Independent, Belmond, Iowa

Owen "Otis" Sweeny, 61, Goodell, died January 7, 2010 at the Rehabiltation Center of Belmond. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 16 at Andrews Funeral Home in Belmond. Visitation will be held one hour before the service. A gathering will be held following the service.

Owen was born July 26, 1948 in Ames to Owen Floyd Sr. and Iva (Bier) Sweeny. When Owen's parents divorced, he moved with his mother and brother to Goodell. His mother married George Beek in 1953. Owen attended elementary school in Goodell. He was known as a talented actor in high school and graduated from Belmond Community High School in 1966. Owen attended classes at North Iowa Area Community College and worked at Central Soya. Owen was well-known as an exceptional drummer, and he and his brother Patrick traveled around the country in several bands. One of the bands, Lincoln Reed and the House Rockers, was inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1999). In 1972 Owen returned to Goodell and worked at Chapman's Truck Stop for several years. He married Nancy Larsen in 1975, and they had two children. Owen loved taking his children to swim at the lake and to the theater to see Batman movies. He returned to work at Central Soya for 10 years before his employment at Winnebego for 17 years. Owen also worked at Kohl's department store for several years. Owen's hobbies including playing the drums, trying new recipes, surfing the web, and collecting movie paraphernalia. Those who knew Owen would attest that he spoke often of hopes for a better world -- a world in which producing quality workmanship and showing compassion for others were more important than commercialism. His passion and presence moved all who encountered him, and he will not be forgotten.

He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his daughter Angela (Jon) Lowery of Stevens Point, WI; son Aaron Sweeny of Cedar Falls; brother Patrick Sweeny of Goodell; half-sisters Ramona (Don) Erickson and Rose Marie (Leo) Johnson all of Ogden; and nieces Melanie Eckhart of Boone and Maria Moffett of Ames.