June (Mrs. Kenneth) Sward, 84, of rural Belview, died Friday, July 3, 2009, in the Redwood Falls Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Grace Lutheran Church in Belview with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 until 8 p.m. today at the church and one hour prior to services. On-line condolences may be sent to sunsetfuneralandcremation.com. Arrangements are being handled by the Sunset Funeral and Cremation Association of Echo and Wabasso.
June Mary Sward was born June 7, 1925, in Redwood Falls to William and Mary (Jackson) Von Mosch. She was baptized in the Church of Christ in Redwood Falls. She attended Redwood Falls Public Schools. After high school, June worked in the telephone office and the turkey plant in Redwood Falls. She married Melvin O. Hansen in 1943. They later divorced. On June 10, 1962, she was united in marriage to Kenneth Sward in the Little Brown Church in the Vale in Iowa. They lived and farmed in the Redwood Falls area, until moving to their current home in Sioux Agency Township, Yellow Medicine County. She worked as a waitress for many years in the Jolly Mill, the Mint Café and at the Parkway in Redwood Falls. She worked 18 years at the Redwood Beet Station of the Crystal Sugar Cooperative, 20 years for Redwood County Public Health and for a number of years at the Belview School and the Parkview Nursing Home. June was a member of Grace Lutheran Church and the Ladies Aid and she taught Sunday School in her younger years. She was a member of the V.F.W. Auxiliary and the D.A.V. Auxiliary. She collected angels, and enjoyed traveling and motorcycle riding with her husband Kenneth. June was an avid reader. In her later years she enjoyed watching the birds and animals in her yard, and her flower gardens.
June M. Sward died on Friday, July 3, 2009, in Redwood Falls Hospital at the age of 84 years and 26 days. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth, and children: Michael Hansen and wife Jean of Westin, Fla., Stanley Hansen and significant other Wendy of Redwood Falls, Mark Hansen and wife Raynette of Franklin, Gayle Robinson of St. Peter, Debra Butler of Thief River Falls and Kim Sward of Mankato. Also surviving are her 11 grandchildren: Heather Zambrano, Adam Hansen, Shannon Hansen, Tanya Varza, Sarah Hansen, Joshua Hansen, Lesley Robinson, Ryan Robinson, Lance Butler, Angela Kimes and Kory Sward; and seven great-grandchildren: Zachary, Hunter, Danielle, Dalton, Paxton, Laura and James.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Steven, in infancy; six brothers: Oscar, Glen, Kurt, John, Bill and Jim; and two sisters: Melvina and Juanita.
Blessed be her memory.