Covenant News

Service Held for Irene M. Swanson

ROCKFORD, IL (February 9, 2005) - A funeral service was conducted last Friday for 85-year-old Irene M. Swanson who died earlier in the week at Fairhaven Christian Retirement Home. She is the wife of retired Evangelical Covenant pastor Emmet W. Swanson. The service was held at Broadway Covenant Church with a private internment following at Stillman Valley Cemetery.

Born November 30, 1919, in Berkeley, California, the daughter of John and Signe (Karsten) Williams, she graduated from Oakland (California) Technical High School in 1937. Following high school, she worked for Cal Pack in San Francisco. During World War II, Irene met Emmet, a Navy sailor, and after two years of correspondence they wed on March 26, 1944. She was a loving and devoted wife and mother of three and lived her role of pastor's wife quietly and with dignity.

Over the years, her bookkeeping and secretarial skills were employed at National Glass Company in Rockford; Covenant Palms in Miami, Florida; Evangelical Covenant Church headquarters in Chicago; and Broadway Covenant Church in Rockford. She was also her husband's secretary and shared with him in the ministry at the churches they served, including Richland Covenant Church in Richland, Michigan; the Covenant church in Oakland, Nebraska; and Stillman Valley Covenant Church and North Park Covenant Church in Rockford.

"Irene worked here as a receptionist in the 1980's," recalls Jane Swanson-Nystrom (no relation), managing editor of The Covenant Companion. "She and her husband Emmet are two of the most gracious people I have ever met." Those sentiments echoed those of others, who noted that "her love of children was evident in children's ministries and the care of her own children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She met the children on their level, and shared her love and the love of God. Her ready smile and laughter will be so missed."

In addition to her husband, survivors include daughter Sheryl (Hawk) Tidwell of Fairfield Glade, Tennessee; son Douglas (Kristen) of Rockford; daughter Arlene (Robert) Schweiger of Davis Junction; eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Edward, and sisters Ellen, Ruthe Ericson and Mary Ann Peterson.

The family suggests memorials be directed to Broadway Covenant Church, the Rockford Rescue Mission or to the family.

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