Geneva Swartzel Obituary

Geneva Lee (James) Swartzel, passed away peacefully at her home, February 12, 2018, with her loving family by her side.

She was born July 14, 1935, to Ivan James and Helen Laura (Rings) James in Holton, Kansas. She grew up on a farm and attended a one room school house. She was a wonderful big sister to her little brother and sister.

She graduated from Mayetta High School, and the University of Kansas, with a teaching degree in English and Home Economics in 1958. She was a loving wife, and mother. She raised four children, taught at Haskell, and ESL at KU. She also worked at the KU Art Department and Voucher Audit. She was a girl scout leader and served on the Kaw Valley Girl Scout Council. She loved learning and continued to take classes at KU, completing her Master's degree in Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language in 1999.

She was preceded in death, by her husband of fifty-five years, James David Swartzel. She took delight in her granddaughters, and great-granddaughter. She was so proud of each of them. She enjoyed sailing, camping, gardening, and her vast assortment of plants and flowers, as well as traveling, reading, and her beautiful Great White Pyrenees dogs. She enjoyed the Spanish language, foods, and culture, and traveling in the Caribbean. She even learned to scuba dive, earning her open water diving certification!

She is survived by her children, Kate Swartzel (Linda), Patty Swartzel, Susy Wunder (Dennis), and Richard Swartzel, as well as her brother Ivan James (Sara), and sisters Joan Wyatt, and Sharon Babinski (John); granddaughters Whitney Keeler (Matthew), Emily Wunder, Bailey Lierz, Sarah Wunder, Claire Wunder, Chloe Finn, and great-granddaughter Madeline Keeler; her Aunt Esther Rings, cousins, nieces and nephews. She was truly a sweet, kind and wonderful mother, who will be deeply missed. A graveside memorial service is planned for May 27th, 2018, 11:30 A.M. at the Grantville cemetery, with a celebration of her life to follow.