Barbara J. Swaney

Barbara J. Swaney, 73, of Sioux City passed away Monday, April 15, 2013, at her home. Services will be 2 p.m. Friday at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel. Burial will be in Graceland Park Cemetery. Visitation with family present will be 6 to 8 p.m Thursday at the funeral home. Online condolences may be posted at www.meyerbroschapels.com. Barbara was born May 19, 1939, on a farm near Skidmore, Mo., in Nodaway County, the daughter of Earl M. and Frances (Dowling) Anderson. At age 2, Barbara's family moved to the county seat at Maryville, Mo. Her father was elected county sheriff in 1944, and the family moved to the sheriff's residence which, at the time, was in the same building as the county jail, to allow the sheriff to serve as jailer as well. The family lived there for 14 years. Barbara graduated from Maryville High School in 1957. After graduation she was employed as a cashier at the Maryville offices of St. Joseph Light and Power Co. Barbara married Gary Swaney on Dec. 22, 1959. They moved in spring of 1961 from Maryville to Red Oak, Iowa, where Gary was a teacher. For the next 14 years, she devoted herself to homemaking and being a mother to their two sons, Kevin and Garth. She was an enthusiastic Little League parent, Cub Scout Den mother, Bible school worker, etc., always willing to promote the interests of children. She was active in church work. She developed an interest and skill in home decorating and remodeling as the couple worked together to restore a large Victorian home. They moved to Sioux City in 1975, where Gary was employed by Western Iowa Tech Community College. Barbara rejoined the workforce in 1976 with Security National Bank in Sioux City, working in various departments during a 10-year period. The last two years were spent as an information systems representative, marketing the bank's data processing services to other banks in a tri-state area, and training bank personnel in those services. In 1986, she began employment with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Iowa and South Dakota at their Sioux City offices, beginning in the marketing department, then spending several years as a customer services representative. She chose early retirement in 1996, when the corporation moved significant operations to Des Moines. She worked part time in the offices of Excel Security until Gary's retirement in 1998. Barbara's love of people and problem solving benefited many people during her working years. Throughout her life, Barbara maintained a love of learning, both as an avid reader and as a student in such areas as banking, data processing and investing. She enjoyed playing her baby grand piano, flower gardening, home decorating and cooking. Her greatest joys were her roles as mother and grandmother. She was a fan of motor travel, being quite fond of South Padre Island, Colonial Williamsburg, New Orleans, the Rocky Mountains, Savannah, Washington D.C. and Mackinac Island. In recent years, she was a NASCAR racing fan. Survivors include her husband, Gary; her two sons, Kevin (Teresa) Swaney of Sioux City and Garth (Beth) Swaney of Frankfort, Ill.; four grandchildren, Kelsey Swaney of Lincoln, Neb., and Mindy Swaney, Matthew Swaney and Samantha Swaney of Frankfort; her sister, Marilyn Atchison of Holt's Summit, Mo.; sister-in-law, Jacqueline Anderson of Lee's Summit, Mo.; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Robert Anderson, James Anderson and infant Alan Kirby Anderson; two infant sisters, Mary Elizabeth and Helen Kay; brothers-in-law, Ed Swaney and George Atchison; sisters-in-law, Mary Etta Anderson and Margaret Swaney; and a nephew, Shawn Anderson. Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society.