Ron Swanson

Ronald Swanson, 82, of Galt passed away Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at Green Hills Health Care Center in Ames.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Ron Swanson will be held at 10:30 AM on Monday, April 25, 2022 at St. John’s Catholic Church, 608 2nd Avenue North East in Clarion, with Father Jerry Blake officiating. Burial will be held at St. John’s Catholic Cemetery in Clarion.

Visitation will begin at 3:00 PM on Sunday, April 24, 2022 at Ewing Funeral Home, 1801 Central Avenue East in Clarion. Rosary will begin at 5:30 PM with scriptural wake beginning at 6:00 PM. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the services at the church on Monday.

Ronald was born February 21, 1940, in Sioux City, IA, the oldest of four children of Wendell Royal Swanson and Helen Elizabeth (Holland) Swanson. He spent the first three years with his parents on a farm in South Sioux City, Nebraska, before moving to a farm south of Galt, IA, located in Wright County. His education started in a one-room rural school a mile and a half from their home. When the school closed, he attended 4th through 8th grade at the Dows Community School before transferring to Clarion High School his freshman year. He was active in band, FFA, and 4-H. He received the Iowa Farmer Degree and was in the National FFA band and was the President of the Wright County Boy’s 4-H Club. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1961 with a degree in Farm Operations. At ISU he was a member of the marching band and president of Bennett House Friley Hall. In his senior year, he joined the National Guard at Eagle Grove where he served for six years.

In 1962 he started farming on land he rented from his father and two years later was able to rent a farm east of Woolstock. On September 5, 1964, he married Florine Mary Schulte at St. Michael Church in Norway, Iowa. They spent the first twelve years of their marriage farming just south of the French Church before moving to the farm south of Galt where he had grown up. To this marriage three sons were born, Kendell Joseph, Stuart John, and Steven Arthur.

Ron’s life was dedicated to his faith, his family, and farming. Early on he served as a Woolstock Township Trustee, the President of the Woolstock Co-Op elevator, on the Wright County REC Board, the Wright County 4-H Youth Committee, and the President of the Iowa Farm Business Association Board. Following the move to Galt, he served on the board of the Clarion-Goldfield School and the local Brenton Bank Board, as well as the Brenton Bank Board in Des Moines. Ron’s passion was dedicating his service to numerous agriculture organizations including serving as the President of the Iowa Corn Growers Association and President of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board for a total of 17 years. He also served as V-P of Research and Development of the National Corn Growers Board and President of the National Farm Financial Standards Board. Ron was a founding member and executive committee member of the Innovative Growers of Iowa. He was also a member of the USDA advisory committee of the Federal Grain Inspection Service. For over 25 years he was a member of the Agri-Wellness Mental Health Board covering six states in the Midwest.

Ron was a life member of St. John Catholic Church in Clarion. He chaired the church council and served on the finance committee a number of times as well as the trustee of St. John’s cemetery. He was also a Eucharistic Minister and took communion to the nursing home. Along with his wife, they graduated from the Lay Ministry program in 2000. Together they co-chaired the church Swiss Steak Dinner for many years. He was always behind the scenes on every project Florine took on at church and professionally.

Ron was the recipient of the Brian Y. Davidson Fellowship of the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. In 1997 the Swansons were named Iowa Master Farmers. In 2016 they were named the ISU Cyclone Family of the year, and in 2017 they received the Iowa 4-H Foundation Legacy Award.

Surviving is his wife, Florine; son, Kendell (Jennifer) Swanson of Pella, and their children, Sydney Swanson of West Des Moines, Victoria and her fiancé Dylan Rude of West Des Moines, and Nicholas Swanson of Lakewood, CO, Michael (Elizabeth) Etnyre of Dixon, MO, Jeannie Etnyre of Tempe, AZ, and Matthew Etnyre of Ankeny; his son, Stuart (Lori) Swanson of Galt and their children, Adelai (Marshall) Dolch, of West Des Moines, Celeste Swanson of LeClaire and fiancé Jacob Burt of Davenport, Lilian Swanson, and Delia Swanson both of Galt; and son, Steven (Denise) Swanson of Eden Prairie, MN and their children, Parker Swanson of Winona, MN and Marisa Swanson of Wilmington, DE. He is also survived by three sisters, Mary (Roger) Girard of South St. Paul, MN, Jeanne (Breck) Eagle of Mettaposit, MA, and Joyce Falkenberg of Rayken, Norway, as well as his sisters-in-law, Lois Schulte of Watkins, Ingrid Schulte of Amana and his brother-in-law, Orlan (Deborah) Schulte of Norway. Preceding him in death were his parents and his in-laws Bernard and Sylvia (Brockschink) Schulte and brothers-in-law, William Warren, Andreas Falkenberg, Dale Schulte, Myrl Schulte, and Alvin Schulte.

Ron requested that memorials be designated to St. John Catholic Church or the Iowa State University Foundation Beginning Farmer Center fund- www.foundation.iastate.edu/swansonmemorial

www.ewingfh.com

Ewing Funeral Home

1801 Central Avenue East

Clarion, Iowa 50525

515-532-2233