Obituary of Bessie M. Swartzendruber

Bessie M. Swartzendruber, 90, of Iowa City, died Thursday, September 21, 2017, at the Solon Nursing Care Center.

Funeral services will be held at 11am Saturday, September 23, 2017, at the Church of the Nazarene in Iowa City where there will be visitation from 10 am until services.  Burial will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Iowa City.  Memorial donations can be made in her memory to the Church of the Nazarene or Iowa City Hospice. 

Bessie Mary Schrock was born January 11, 1927, in Shelbyville, IL, the daughter of Dan and Anna (Roth) Schrock.  She was united in marriage to J. Paul Swartzendruber on April 4, 1947, in Kalona.  The couple had lived in the Iowa City area since 1948.  Paul died on April 24, 1998. Bessie loved her family dearly, she was the cook, baker, seamstress, quilter and so much more to them and so many others throughout her lifetime!

Her family includes their seven children, Carol DeMoss of Iowa City; Roger Swartzendruber (Denise) of Solon; Rosalie French (Al) of Spokane, WA; Leonard Swartzendruber of Iowa City; Robert Swartzendruber (Connie) of Iowa City; John Swartzendruber (Loree) of Menomonee Falls, WI; and Shari Thornburg (Joel) of Marengo; 11 grandchildren, Rebecca  Koeneke (Tracey), Alex Swartzendruber, Eric Swartzendruber, Kristina Christensen, Jason Swartzendruber, Jared Swartzendruber, Michael Swartzendruber, Morgan Swartzendruber, Carlton Swartzendruber, Dylan Thornburg, and Andrew Thornburg, 3  great-grandchildren, Joseph and Emily Koeneke and Colton Christensen; 3 sisters, Lillie Thomas, Esther Siville, and Lydia Ann Kennel; and 2 brothers, Jacob Schrock and Howard Schrock.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Paul; and infant grandson, Levi Swartzendruber; sisters, Mabel McKittrick and Bertha Miller; 7 brothers, Daniel, Raymond, Edwin, John, Fred, Elmer and Ervin Schrock.