Lenarda Swaney

Lenarda Swaney, 72, of St. Lawrence, died Sunday, November 23 at the Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, November 29 at the St. Lawrence Community Church with Rev. Scot Tutt officiating. Visitation will be Friday, November 28 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service all at the St. Lawrence Community Church. Burial will follow at the G.A.R. Cemetery in Miller.

Lenarda Bell Parmely was born, the youngest of eleven siblings, to Ferrill and Mabel (Campbell) Parmely in Miller, SD on May 3, 1942. She grew up south of St. Lawrence and attended West Horseshoe Bend Country School. She graduated from Miller High School in 1960.

On April 6, 1961, she married Gene Swaney at the United Methodist Church in Miller. They spent their 53 years of married life working side by side on a farm north of St. Lawrence.

Lenarda was baptized in the St. Lawrence Community Church on August 19, 1979. During her married life she and Gene and their family attended the rural Sunbeam Community Church and the Nazarene Church in Miller. For the past 40 years Gene and Lenarda have been very active in the life and activities of the Community Church of St. Lawrence.

Lenarda was a life time member of Weight Watchers and also served on the staff. She bowled on Women?s and Couples? Leagues for many years. She worked at various jobs including cleaning at Wilber?s Feed and Seed, The Miller Sale Barn, Prairie Garden, Pierson?s Greenhouse, Dakota Expeditions, Carr Pheasant Farm, and a carpet cleaning business with Phyllis Chipman.

She centered her life around service to others. Lenarda was constantly taking care of someone and lending a helping hand. She was an avid shopper and bargain hunter. She loved to make jelly and cook for others. She enjoyed big family gatherings with her children, grandchildren and siblings. She walked many miles with friends on the country roads.

Lenarda also knew how to have fun. She liked to play cards and dance the two-step with her beloved husband, Gene.

Lenarda loved farm life. She worked right beside Gene in the field, working cows and guiding hunters. She loved her family and the two of them spent many hours traveling to their children?s and grandchildren?s events. Gene and Lenarda did some traveling together and liked to go fishing.

She is survived by her husband, Gene Swaney; one son, Duran (Carol) Swaney of St. Lawrence; three daughters, Tyann (Brian) Jones of Miller, Terice (Mark) Ketelhut of Miller, Laniece (Jody) Sawvell of Quinn; 12 grandchildren, Brent and Tyler Swaney, Will, Jack and Eli Jones, Colton, Tate and Abigail Ketelhut, Casey, Kailey, Camden and Kassidy Sawvell; two great-granddaughters, Jaiden Swaney and Vaelynn Welk; five siblings, Mildred (Lowell) Engel of Black Hawk, Marles (Roger) Dean of Miller, Margaret Starks of Miller, James (Genevieve) Parmely of Box Elder, Beth (Jack) Engel of Texas; four sisters-in-law, Ellen Parmely of Miller, Ruby Parmely of Miller, Donna Swaney of Camdenton, MO, and Betty (Loral) Liedtke of Huron; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Wayne Parmely, infant brother Ydell, sister and brother-in-law, Viola and Junior Ford, brother Clark Parmely, brother and sister-in-law, Otis and Natalee Parmely, brother-in-law Lyle Swaney, brother-in-law Richard Starks, daughter-in-law, Lori Swaney; one infant daughter; mother and father-in-law, Laird and Ruth Swaney.