Obit: Swaney, William I. "Bill" (1927 – 2018)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Swaney, Sutton, Mahoney, Glidden, Lewan, Tatro, Johnson, Schmitz, Olsen

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 05 Sep 2018

Swaney, William I. "Bill" (16 APR 1927 – 30 AUG 2018)

William "Bill" Ivan Swaney, 9l of Thorp, formerly of Gilman, died Thursday, August 30, 2018, at Oakbrook Health. & Rehab, Thorp, under the care of Hope Hospice, lie was born on April 16, 1927, in the Town of Stubbs, Rusk County, to the late Clinton and Bessie (Sutton) Swaney. He attended Kief Grade School. Bill then started high school at Weyerhauser/Bruce school before entering the Amy in the 2nd Armory Division Military Band. After his discharge he returned to Bruce to finish high school. Bill moved to St. Paul, MN and worked in the Ford Motor Plant.

On February 27, 1950, Bill married Wilma Edith "Billie Rae" Mahoney at her family home. In 1951 the couple started farming in the Bruce area. They moved to the Gilman/Hannibal area in 1957 where they farmed until 2003 when Bill "retired."

Bill served 18 years on the Farm Credit Board (PCA) of Neillsville, WI, the church board, and spent 12 years as a 4-H leader, j He also served on the Taylor County board of supervisors and on the Gilman School Building Committee.

His highlights during his 91 and a half years was building a dairy herd that was one of the top 10 herds in Wisconsin and the top herd in Taylor County for two years on milk and butter fat. Bill also received the Tri County young farmer award in 1973. He enjoyed fishing, hunting thin in later years spending time gardening, woodworking and being a "Winter Texan" for the colder months.

He is survived, by his children: Pam (Ken) Glidden of Lublin, Lonnie (Peggy) Swaney of DePere and Deb (Tim) Lewan of Thorp; 13 grandchildren: Michael, Alan, Marie, Katie, Christopher, Jacob, Shane, Chad, Stacy, Marissa, Derek, Cassandra and Brandon; and 11 great-grandchildren. Bill is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Wilma (2015); brothers: Harold and John; and three sisters: Dorothy Tatro, Violet Johnson and Hazel Schmitz.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 8th at Christ Community Church, Jump River, with Pastor Joey Olsen officiating. Burial with military rites will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday at Meadowbrook Cemetery, Gilman. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, September 7tb at the Gilman Funeral Home and Saturday morning one hour prior to services at the church.