Obituary of Edith L. Swails

Edith Louise Swails died Friday, May 26, 2017 after an extended illness.  Edith was born January 4, 1918; the daughter of (Richard) Glenn Goody and Clara (Schump) Goody.  She was a native and lifelong resident of Iowa City.  She attended Iowa City Schools, and graduated from Iowa City High School with the class of 1936.  On June 12, 1941 Edith married Daryl Lyle Swails at First Methodist Church in Iowa City.  Daryl passed away two months shy of their 50th wedding anniversary.

She was employed at Piper’s Candy Store and Wayner’s Gift Shop - both in downtown Iowa City - for several years.  In their retirement Edith and Daryl each spent thousands of hours volunteering at Mercy Hospital.  Edith was a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church.

Edith was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Maurice, Cliff, and Lawrence Goody; her husband Daryl Swails in 1991; and her daughter Jean Swails in 2002.  Most recently she lost her sister Ella Mae Harris in 2014.

Edith is survived by her son Jerry Swails and his wife Christine Taylor of Iowa City.  She is also survived by sisters-in-law Elaine Swails and Shirley Harris of Iowa City, and Ellen Berg of Yucaipa, California and their families.  She will be missed at family gatherings by the McBurney and Daly families, both of whom gave her great joy.  She had a loyal friend in Pat Smith.  Edith and her family enjoyed making friends at Walden Senior Living and Melrose Meadows Retirement Community before her illness.  Her family appreciates the support Briarwood Care Facility and Essence of Life Hospice provided in her last months.

Services will be held Thursday, June 1, 2017 at Gay and Ciha Funeral Home.  A time of greeting and visitation will take place 11:00-1:00, followed by the service at 1:00 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Iowa City Mercy Hospital Guild, or Essence of Life Hospice of Iowa.