Obituary for Marian D. Swihart Marian D. Swihart, 99 of Grand Island died Monday, September 24, 2018. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 AM Friday at St. Leo’s Catholic Church. Celebrating Mass will be Father Charles Torpey and Father Don Buhrman.
There will be no visitation. Private burial will be in the Grand Island Cemetery. All Faiths Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Swihart was born September 21, 1919 at Lake View, Iowa to Clarence and Frances (McCarter) Lille. She was preceded in death by her husband Albert in 1983 and her son Steven in 2014. Survivors of the immediate family include Douglas of Grand Island, Bruce and Clo Swihart of Grand Island.
Also surviving are grand children and spouses: Sarah and Kirk Rosenbaum of Denver, Colorado; Amy Swihart of Omaha, Nebraska; Michael Schwieger of Overland Park, Kansas and Scott Swihart of Grand Island. Nieces and nephews include Warren and Linda Mack of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Karen and John Kulander of Sunnyvale, California, Gregory and Nancy Onstot of Springfield, Missouri, Scott and Janet Onstot of Lakeview, Iowa, Heidi and Bert Johnson of Des Moines, Iowa, Dennis and Darwin Lake of Lytton, Iowa and Dana Dettmann of Lytton, Iowa. Six great grandchildren: Roman, Ellie & Charlie, Cade, Carson and Cooper.
Marian graduated from Lake View High School in 1937. She received and accepted a full scholarship to the Grand Island Business College. All or parts of the Business College courses were up to the student’s choice with one exception-all students were required to take penmanship.
They were given the opportunity to take the “Civil Service” tests if they wished. The War Department in Washington D.C. was offering positions in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. Requirements were for average grades or better, in all tests and a general knowledge test.
The college would be notified of grades students received but it would be the War Department notifying students of acceptance of one or the other and a time and place. In due time Marian was informed that she had passed the Army and the Navy tests. She continued her study in the Business College.
She had met a student in the college, Al Swihart and they were married June 1940. He was employed at Webb Livestock and had been in college a year prior to her arrival. Marian was working as a stenographer that summer with a firm in Grand Island the “Home Federal Savings and Loan Association”.
She received the telegram from the War Department to report to the Munitions Building in Washington D.C. on January 1, 1941 for further assignment. Mrs. Swihart was directed to the Officer of the Quarter Master General of the Army. There she had an interview with the Provost Marshal and after questions & answers was assigned to be the Secretary to the Provost Marshal, finger printed and ready to begin her position with an Officer and a Gentleman that lasted the duration of her 3 years in Washington.
Mr. Swihart had been given a leave of absence from the gentlemen at Webb Livestock and joined Marian that spring in D.C. They moved to Alexandria, Virginia after his arrival. They commuted to the District each day by bus and streetcar to their respective jobs where Mr. Swihart was employed at the Potomac Electric Power Company.
The U.S. President was on the radio a Sunday morning and announced that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. Everyone was called and asked to report to their office at noon or as soon as possible. That day was December 7, 1941.
Marian worked very late that evening with the Dictaphone transmitting and receiving messages from Stockton, California. Marian’s husband received an urgent call asking him to return to his former position in Grand Island. Employees were mostly gone, having been drafted or having enlisted.
Webb Livestock was declared Essential to the War Effort and feeding the men in the Military. The Webb Livestock Officers had been gracious to grant Mr. Swihart a leave of absence in 1940 to join his wife in Washington and it was deemed necessary now for him to return to Webb Livestock. They had moved to Alexandria, Virginia upon his arrival and a son had been born in 1941 and they returned to Grand Island to begin a new life with a new-born son in December of 1942.
Marian was a charter member of St. Leo’s Catholic Church and a member of the Ladies of St. Leos. She loved her family and going to Iowa was special to see her parents & 4 sisters and the youngsters in the families enjoyed each other and the summer and winter activities on Black Hawk Lake and Storm Lake. Marian also loved to read and she belonged to the Literary Guild for many years.
Her bookshelves are filled with the novels and classics she chose and read. If not with books, the shelves contain music books and sheet music. Music was important and enjoyed by everyone in the family.
She also enjoyed bridge games, especially duplicate bridge. She took the Red Cross test and received her certificate as a Grey Lady. She volunteered at the Veteran’s Administration Building during the Vietnam War and volunteered at the Bloodmobile and the St. Francis Gift Shop.
Marian and her husband enjoyed fishing with friends and trout fishing at Flaming Gorge in Wyoming. Several Shrine trips to Europe were great and a trip to Ireland with a sister and brother-in-law with the Iowa Bar Association was very much enjoyed. In addition to her husband Marian was preceded in death by her parents, 4 sisters Marjorie, Elaine, Lois, Darlene and her oldest son Steven of Denver, Colorado.
In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to St. Leo’s Catholic Church or donor’s choice. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Marian D. Swihart please visit our Sympathy Store.
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