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IN LOVING MEMORY OF

R. John

R. John Swanson Profile Photo

Swanson

November 22, 1920 – November 14, 2005

Obituary

Birthplace: Red Oak, Iowa Resided In: Red Oak, Iowa R. John Swanson, age 84, of Red Oak, Iowa passed away Monday November 14, 2005 at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital after an extended illness. He was born November 22, 1920 in Red Oak, Iowa the son of Judge R.J. and Ruth (Wright) Swanson. The family moved to Villisca in 1921and John was raised and graduated from Villisca High School in 1938. He attended what is now U.N.I. in Cedar Falls for two years and spent one year in Red Oak where he took flying lessons at Red Oak Junior College under a federally sponsored program and obtained a pilots license in 1941. He attended the University of Iowa in the fall of 1941 and had just passed his 21st birthday at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. In the spring of 1942 he was employed by the FBI in Washington. That fall he enlisted in the Air Force for Glider Pilot Training. That program was terminated by the Air Force and John was assigned to a Liaison Squadron as operations N.C.O. with the rank of Staff Sergeant, but not as a pilot. His squadron was attached to General Omar Bradley's 12th Army Group Headquarters from June 1944 until the end of WWII. His "one claim to fame" about which he was proud was his riding as a passenger in the back seat of an L-5 Air Force plane under the arch of the Eiffel Tower on September 9, 1944. Upon discharge from the Air Force, R. John was united in marriage to Margaret Siebert on January 2, 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from law school in Iowa City in 1948 and practiced his profession in Montgomery County continuously for the next 57 years. John was active in civil affairs. He had served as president of the Chamber of Commerce, Red Oak School Board, Lions Club, 43 years as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hospital and chairman of the board for 17 years during the period of conversion to a County Hospital and construction of the present facility. He served 22 years on the State Board of Directors of Blue Cross and Blue Shield. He was president of the Southwest Iowa Bar Association one year and also served on the Iowa Supreme Court Judicial Selection Committee for one term. He was a member of the Red Oak Airport Commission for over 30 years and was Chairman the last 10 years. R. John said many times there were three very lucky things that happened to him. One was the fact the Glider Pilot Program was terminated before he completed his training, the next was marrying his wife and; finally, that he was defeated when he sought nomination for US Congress in 1966. R. John was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, David and William, and by one sister, Luella Woodburn. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Margaret Swanson, a longtime teacher in the Red Oak School system, and by their five sons of whom they were so proud: Ralph and his wife Anne of Palo Alto, California; Benjamin of Des Moines, Iowa; Mark of Red Oak, Iowa; David of Red Oak, Iowa; and Bruce and wife Cindy of Red Oak, Iowa; grandchildren: Drew and Abby Swanson and Darcy Eitzen and husband Joel of Red Oak, Iowa; Leslie Dovel of Ames, Iowa; Courtney Swanson of Des Moines, Iowa; Larissa Marocco and husband Jim of San Mateo, California; and Christina Swanson of San Francisco, California; sister: Ruth Schneider of Stanford, California; many nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends. Funeral Mass will be celebrated 10:30 AM Friday, November 18, 2005 at St. Mary's Catholic Church with Father Ken Gross celebrant. Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be held from 7-8 PM Thursday, November 17, 2005 at the Nelson-Boylan-LeRette Funeral Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital Foundation or the Montgomery County Historical Society. Nelson-Boylan-LeRette Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Visitation:
Date: 11/17/2005 Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM Comments: The family will be present during the visitation. Nelson-Boylan-LeRette Funeral Chapel 410 N 6th Street Red Oak, IA Get a Map Driving Directions
Service:
Date: 11/18/2005 Time: 10:30 AM Comments: St. Mary's Catholic Church 1510 Highland Red Oak, IA Get a Map Driving Directions
Burial:
Date: 11/18/2005 Time: Following the service Comments: Evergreen Cemetery North 8th St. Red Oak, IA Get a Map Driving Directions
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