Verlaine M. Swingen

Verlaine M. Swingen, 89, of Woden, passed away Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at Concord Care Center in Garner surrounded by her family.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, December 1, 2023, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Woden with Rev. John Heille officiating. Inurnment will be at Grant Township Cemetery northeast of Woden.

To view her service on our YouTube channel please click the following link:  https://youtu.be/OKz7Parc3H0

Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until service time at the church on Friday. 

Verlaine Marie Swingen, the daughter of Martel and Agnes (Charlson) Mathews, was born November 28, 1934, on a farm north of Leland. She was baptized and confirmed at Winnebago Lutheran Church near Lake Mills. Verlaine graduated from Lake Mills High School in 1952 and continued her education at Waldorf College in Forest City. On September 8, 1956, she was married to Gussie Swingen at Winnebago Lutheran Church. They lived on an acreage northeast of Woden where they raised their family and farmed. In 1974, they moved into Woden. After Gussie passed away in 2015, she continued to live in her home until moving to the Summit House in Britt in November 2019. She enjoyed spending time with her family and annual fishing trips with them to Longville, MN. She was a terrific baker and was known for her chocolate chip cookies and making lefse and kringla with her sister, Karolyn.

She was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and a past member of Grant Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday and Bible school for many years.

Verlaine is survived by her two children, Pam (Dan) Kloser of Garner and Doug (Lisa) Swingen of Woden; four grandchildren, Tyler (Kaitlyn) Kloser and their daughter, Cora, Jessica (Jordan) Wellik and their two children, Audrey and Owen, Megan (Corben) Schueler and their two sons, Drake and Cam and Matt (Meaghan) Swingen and their daughter, Charlie; a brother, Ronnie (Carole) Mathews of Leland; and many nieces and nephews.

 She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Gussie; sister, Karolyn (Roger) Flatrud; two brothers, Arden and Arlo Mathews; sisters-in-law, Myrth (Oliver) Anderson and Theo (Ed) Callies; and a brother-in-law, Harvey Swingen.