Delrose M. Swartz

Delrose Mae (Pankonin) Swartz, age 81, of Fergus Falls, went to sing with the heavenly choir on Thursday, July 23, 2015, after succumbing to cancer.

The daughter of Elmer and Mable (Gode) Pankonin, Del was born on April 4, 1934 in Spingfield, Minnesota. She graduated from Jeffers High School in 1952 and then she attended the Minnesota School of Business for accounting. On September 4, 1954, she married Stanley Lewis Swartz. They lived for a time in Hastings, Nebraska and Park Rapids, Minnesota, before settling in Fergus Falls in 1967.

Delrose used her business skills at Dorn & Company and as office manager at Krekelberg, Sorkness and Seeger (formerly Williams and Nitz) Law Office. She enjoyed music, having played piano and trumpet and singing in a barbershop quartet. She also participated in many community and church choirs.

In her retired years, she enjoyed her volunteer experiences with Lake Region Healthcare, PioneerCare and Grace United Methodist Church. She also relished playing cards, doing jigsaw puzzles and eating out with her friends.

Del was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Stanley.

Her laughter, generosity and caring will be missed, especially by her daughter, Susan (Steven) Hansen of Rochester; 2 sons, Scott (Leslie) Swartz of Underwood and Lewis Swartz of Fergus Falls; grandchildren, Caleb and Lucas Hansen, Samuel and Sara Swartz; and a brother, Donald (Diane) Pankonin of North Carolina.

Memorials are preferred to Grace United Methodist Church, Lakeland Hospice or the Alzheimer’s Association.

Visitation: Friday, August 14, 2015 from 5:30-7:30 PM at Olson Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at Grace United Methodist Church in Fergus Falls
Memorial Service: Saturday, August 15, 2015 at 2:00PM
Clergy: Reverend Dr. Wesley Gabel
Interment: Windom Memorial Gardens in Windom, Minnesota at a later date
Arrangements: Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls