Catherine Elizabeth ‘Katie’ Swisher

May 06, 2008 11:34 am

— Catherine Elizabeth “Katie” Swisher, a longtime Cushing area resident, died Saturday, May 3, 2008, in the Linwood Village Nursing Home at the age of 98 years.
Funeral services have been entrusted to the Palmer Marler Funeral Home in Cushing and will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Cushing First Assembly of God Church with the Rev. Robert Adams and Phil Swisher officiating. Burial will follow in the Euchee Valley Memorial Park.
Katie was born May 23, 1909, in Noble County, to German immigrants Peter and Elizabeth (Andres) Sawatzky. She was the youngest of six children. She was educated in rural Noble County grade schools.
On Nov. 7, 1929, Katie and Paul Swisher were married in Perry. During the Great Depression, Katie gave birth to six boys. During those hard times, Katie became very resourceful with the very little available. Yet Katie was always willing to share those meager provisions with others who were in need.
Paul preceded Katie in death in 2002 after 73 years of marriage. Also preceding her in death were her parents, brothers, Hank, Pete and Gus; sisters, Martha Spillman and Marie Swisher; and daughter-in-law, Wanda Ward Swisher.
She is survived by six sons, Gene and wife, Betty, of El Cajon, Calif., Neal of Moab, Utah, Wes and wife, Ruth, of San Diego, Calif., Burke and wife, Carol, of Loma, Colo., Stan and wife, Linda, of Cushing and Phil and wife, Annette, of Palestine, Texas. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren and many great and great-great-grandchildren.
The Swisher family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Cushing First Assembly of God Women’s Ministries.