Sharon Swalve Obituary

Rock Rapids, IA

Sharon Nadine Swalve passed away January 27, 2026, at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the age of 78.

The Swalve / Witt family will have a celebration of life service at 1:00 PM, Saturday, February 28th at the Immanuel Lutheran Church of Rock Rapids, IA.

Born and raised in Alcester, South Dakota, Sharon was the daughter of Norman and Sylvia Holthe and sister to Arvid and Geraldine. She graduated from Alcester High School with an interest in nursing.

Sharon met her future husband at the Alcester gas station, where he was pumping gas. Allan and Sharon married in 1967; they were married 49 years until Allan’s passing in 2016. During their marriage, they welcomed three children, Randy, Scott, and Cindy.

Together, they raised their children in George, Iowa where they owned and operated the grocery store Al’s Foodland. Once their children were grown, they moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Sharon later moved to Rock Rapids.

Sharon enjoyed reading and cheering on her favorite sports teams – The Minnesota Vikings, Iowa State, and UNI. She loved nothing more than getting pictures of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. One of her proudest moments was ringing the bell after beating breast cancer in 2023 – a testament to her strength and Spirit.

She is survived by Randy (Amy) Swalve of Waterloo, Iowa, Scott (Mary) Swalve of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Cindy (Brad) Witt of Rock Rapids, Iowa, 11 grandchildren and 16 great children, and her sister (Geraldine (Jim) Hongslo of Lenexa, Kansas. She is preceded in death by her husband, Allan, her parents Norman and Sylvia Holthe, her brother Arvid Holthe, and her grandparents.