Donna L. Swalve

GARNER – Donna L. Swalve, 79, of rural Garner died Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M., Monday, January 23rd at First Reformed Church in Buffalo Center with Rev. William Peake officiating. Burial will be at Crystal Township Cemetery in Crystal Lake.

Visitation will be held from 9 A.M. until service time at the church on Monday. Cataldo Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Donna Lee Swalve, the daughter of Leroy and Virginia (Larson) Adams, was born January 5, 1938 in Albert Lea, MN. At an early age, she moved with her family to Thompson where she graduated from high school in 1957. On October 28, 1961, she was married to Lewis Swalve at First Reformed Church in Buffalo Center. They lived in the Garner and Hayfield areas for most of their married life. Donna was employed as a cook at Mitz and Bertha’s Truck Stop in Leland, Big Oak Café in Forest City and the Garner VFW. She also worked in Forest City at Winnebago’s Stitchcraft and was a nurses’ aide at several nursing homes including Concord Care Center in Garner. She enjoyed cooking, canning, embroidering and crocheting.

She was a member of First Reformed Church in Buffalo Center and was a past member of the United Methodist Church in Thompson where she taught Sunday school.

Donna is survived by her husband, Lewis of Garner; seven children, Kim Swalve of Thompson, Morgan Adams (significant partner, Ken Sisson) of Boston, MA, Merlin (Millie) Swalve of Lake Crystal, MN, Jill Fox (Dean Jensen) of Beulah, WY, Rex (Sandy) Swalve of Thompson, Beth Swalve (partner, Dennis Robinson) of Thompson and Raymond (Karla) Swalve of Garner; son-in-law, Dennis (Gail) Potter of Forest City; thirty-three grandchildren; forty-two great grandchildren; five siblings, Daryl (Bev) Adams of Buffalo Center, Diane (Dale) Kramersmeier of Buffalo Center, Darwin Adams of Thompson, Douglas (Harriet) Adams of Fort Dodge and Denise (Mike) Eenhuis of Chapman, KS; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Kevin Swalve; a daughter, Gail Swalve Potter; granddaughter, Jasmine Ouderkerk; an infant brother, Devere Adams; parents-in-law, George and Gesina Swalve; a sister-in-law, Thelma Adams; and a brother-in-law, Allan Swalve.