Betty L. (Hackbarth) Swanson

Betty Lou (Hackbarth) Swanson passed into heaven's gate on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016 at the Clarion Wellness and Rehabilitation Center in Clarion.

Funeral services for Betty Swanson will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday May 7, 2016 at the United Methodist Church in Dows. Pastor Shawn Hill will officiate. Burial will take place in the Graceland cemetery near Rowan. Visitation for Betty Swanson will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. Friday May 6, 2016 at the United Methodist Church in Dows and will continue for one hour prior to services Saturday at the church. Dugger Funeral Home, 100 North Lee Street in Dows is in charge of arrangements.

Betty was born June 22, 1929 in a home near Bradford, Iowa to Herbert and Mabel (Graff) Hackbarth. She was the oldest of nine children and lived a very busy and full life. After graduating salutatorian from Rowan High School in 1947, Betty attended Iowa Teacher's College (now UNI) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She proudly taught country school in a one room classroom, grades 1-8.

On January 7, 1949 she married Raymond Swanson in Garner, Iowa and started farming east of Galt, Iowa. To this union was blessed six children, 3 boys and 3 girls. Betty and Ray moved to a farm north of Dows in 1956 and lived there for over 50 years. She helped Ray and the children on the farm and loved gardening and growing flowers and fruit trees. The family would take yearly vacations "out west" and Betty would expertly pile the car full of food and clothes for the trip. Playing cards with family, friends, and neighbors was also a fun pastime.

The Dows United Methodist Church held a special place in Betty's heart and she was active teaching Sunday school and Bible school and was active in United Methodist Church groups. Franklin County 4-H also help a special place for her and she was active as a leader and assisting her children with their 4-H projects and county fair. Later in life, she and Ray enjoyed winters with friends in Weslaco, Texas for over 25 years.

Her family was the love of her life and she greatly cherished her visits with her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Later in life she quilted them many quilts. During family get-togethers she would spend hours cooking and preparing meals. Christmas was especially important to her and she made sure everyone received a "Santa" stocking filled with many gifts.

Left to cherish her memory are children: Karen (Ivan) Noelck, Virgil (Jill) Swanson, Ruby (Larry) Rhines, Duane (Jean) Swanson, Edward (Kimberly) Swanson, and Linda (Jon) Allen; nineteen grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren; siblings Shirley (Leslie) Southard, Mary Lester, Charlotte (Norman) Pals, Katherine Hoopingarner, Lester Hackbarth, David Hackbarth, and sister-in-law Mary Lousie Swanson.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Mabel and Herbert Hackbarth; her loving husband of 64 years, Raymond Swanson; grandchildren Tony Noelck and Karie Noelck; great-granddaughter Maelani Hadley; siblings Barbara Hackbarth and Herbert Hackbarth Jr.; brother-in-law Frank Lester, Eugene Sturgeon, Clifford Swanson, and Louis Hoopingarner; and sister-in-law Mabel Sturgeon.