Beth Swan

Funeral services for Beth Swan, 83, Hardy, will be held Sunday, October 28, 2012, at  2 pm  at the Hardy Church on the grounds of the Humboldt Co. Historical Park in Dakota City, Iowa.   Visitation will be 5 to 7 pm on Saturday, October 27, at the Mason–Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt.  Beth died on Tuesday, October 23, at her home in Hardy.

Beth is survived by her daughter, Myral (Martin) Gilson, Mesa, AZ; her son, Mychael Swan, Hardy, IA; her son, Marshall (Pam) Swan; and her daughter-in-law, Beth S. Swan, Farmington, MN.  She is also survived by one special niece, Sheryl Swan (Walt Burgdorf), Strongville, OH; by five grandchildren, Sara (Brian) Tackett, Farmington, MN; Timothy (Olivia) Swan, Chicago, IL; Jordan Swan, New York City, NY; Marcus Swan, Hardy, IA; and Andrew Swan, Cedar Rapids, IA; three great grandchildren, Brian, Kiera, and Josephine Tackett, and one very special friend, Marcia Duncan Bothe, Scottsdale, AZ.

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Lois Huntley, Tucson, AZ;  brother-in-law, Clair (Ruth) Swan, Lone Tree, CO;  sister-in-law, Diane (Eugene) Marchuk, Westchester, IL; and brother-in law, Rex Schoonover, Guthrie Center, IA.  She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, very special cousins, extended family and friends from Arizona and the Hardy, Renwick, and Humboldt areas.

She was preceded in death by her husband Leland Swan in 2007; her parents and her sister Wanda Brayton.

Beth Marvelle Clancy, daughter of Marshall V. and Wilma M. (Hefti) Clancy, was born on her grandparents’ farm near Hardy, Iowa, on April 20, 1929.  She attended grade school at the Hardy Public School, and graduated from Renwick High School in 1946.   She worked in a dress shop in Des Moines before attending business school in Omaha, Nebraska.    She returned to Hardy to work at the Hardy Elevator as bookkeeper.

On November 25, 1948, Beth married Leland D. Swan at the Hardy Methodist Church.   She worked at Schwartzendruber Elevator in Thor, IA, until the birth of her first child.   She farmed with her husband Lee all their lives on the farm near Hardy.   She also was bookkeeper for Hanson Electric in Renwick, IA, for several years.

Beginning in the 1970s, Beth and Lee enjoyed 30 winters at their home in Tucson, AZ.   They also enjoyed traveling throughout the US and Canada, mostly by car.

Beth was a member of the Hardy Methodist Church until its closing, when she joined the Humboldt Congregational Church.    She was a member of the UMW in Hardy, as well as a Sunday School teacher and choir member.    She belonged to the Women’s Fellowship and Circle at the Congregational Church.   During her life, Beth was also a 4-H leader, Cub Scout den mother, and Boone Valley Band Booster.  She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, serving as worthy matron; American Legion Auxiliary; two Red Hats groups; Humboldt Co. Historical Association; and the Birthday and Sewing Club.

Until this fall, Beth maintained her own home, cared for numerous flower beds and a small vegetable garden, and fed the birds that visited her yard.  Beth was a great story teller and shared her knowledge of family history through her own stories and those told to her by her grandparents and great grandparents.