Obituary of Irene Mae Swain

Irene Mae (Veum) Swain died Sunday, February 3, 2013. She was born June 19, 1919, the middle child of Emil and Hannah (Lier) Veum. She grew up in a multi-generational home with her Lier grandparents and uncle. She graduated from Edgerton High School in 1937 and the Rural Education program at UW-Whitewater in 1939. She taught at rural schools for 9 years, among them Smithback in Christiana and Lone Oak in Marshall. Former students have stayed in contact and thanked her for her caring lessons. During High School she was a member of the Luther League, which was associated with both East and First East Koshkonong Lutheran Churches. During meetings she met Delbert Neal Swain, who belonged to East, while she belonged to First East. After dating for 7 years she and Delbert were married on Irene�s 23rd birthday, June 19, 1942. They were married in the parsonage, under the potted palm, by Rev. Olaf Borge, then honeymooned for the weekend in Ripon, WI. She and Delbert became members of First East and went on to be a part of the group who saw the two churches merge in 1967. Irene is survived by her husband, Delbert, of 70 years and their four children, David (Barb) Swain of Sun Prairie, Jerry (Debbie) Swain of Middleton, Dean (Ann) Swain of Owensboro, KY, and Carol (Brian) Gunnelson of Cambridge. They enjoyed 8 grandchildren, Michael Swain, Dan Swain, Kari (Keb) Guralski, Amber (Steven) Riddle, Alyssa Swain, Lindsay Swain, Adam Gunnelson and Amelia Gunnelson. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Lawrence Veum, sister Eleanor (Donald) Nelson and grandson, Michael David Swain. A visitation will be at the Nitardy Funeral Home, 208 North Park St., Cambridge WI, on Wednesday, February 6, 2013, from 4 to 7 PM. Continued visitation will be at East Koshkonong Lutheran Church from 10 to time of service at 11 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013. Burial will be at East Koshkonong Cemetery following services. Memorials may be directed to the East Koshkonong Lutheran Church or Cambridge Elementary School Library. She was involved in her church all her life, as a Sunday School teacher, Peace Circle and Ladies� Aid member. She was a 4-H leader for the gardening project for over 25 years, with the Radiant Rockdale 4-H club. She belonged to the Smithback School Mothers� Club and the Christiana Bluebirds Homemakers� club. She and Delbert were a part of two Card Clubs, and had many wonderful life-long friends. They recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, and were blessed to be present for two weddings for their granddaughters, in Almond, WI in September, 2011 and in Lexington, KY in September, 2012. Irene was so happy to meet the wonderful men who married her granddaughters. She always had room in her heart for more family and loved her children�s and grandchildren�s spouses as much as her own children. She had so much pride in her whole family. Some of her final words were about the wonderful family she had been blessed with, who had surrounded her for the final week of her life. She was the Mother who was a playmate to her children when they didn�t have any other playmate. She encouraged them to reach for their greatest dreams and celebrated and cried with them during their lives. She was the best at writing letters to children or grandchildren who were traveling or who had moved away. She gave her most precious commodity, her time, freely to anyone who wanted it. She was especially light of heart and laughed easily. The Nitardy Funeral Home, Cambridge, WI is assisting the family.