Duane Swearson

Swearson

Duane Clark Swearson

Apr. 6, 1947 – Jan. 14, 2020

Duane Clark Swearson, son of William and Agnes (Johnson) Swearson was born April 6, 1947 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Rugby, North Dakota. He died at the age of 72 years on Tuesday, January 14, 2020 at Trinity Hospital in Minot, North Dakota.

Duane grew up on the Swearson family ranch, five miles southwest of Towner. He attended Newport Elementary School and Towner High School where he enjoyed participating in football, FFA, and Rodeo Club

along with his many brothers and childhood friends. As a young boy, Duane greatly loved spending time outdoors with his dad and brothers, being a high energy helping hand with calving out cows in the spring, putting up hay in the summer and feeding cattle through the winters. He learned to hunt, trap and fish on the home place by the Mouse River, hobbies that he enjoyed doing and talking about all his life.

He graduated high school in 1967 and in May of 1968 was inducted into the Armed Forces. From Fargo, he was forwarded on to Fort Lewis, Washington where he enlisted in the Marine Corp completing basic training in San Diego, California. As a Private First Class with the Second Battalion, Platoon 1002, he served with the First Marine Division in South Vietnam. Following an honorable discharge, Duane returned

home to the Towner community working for many local farmers and ranchers. He also had an interest in beekeeping and started working with brother in law, Larry Gunter and his brother Dick Gunter owners and operators of Gunter Honey, Inc. in Towner, as well as helping with their migratory bee business, trucking bee hives south to Sour Lake, Texas in the fall, returning with them in the spring.

Duane served in the North Dakota Army National Guard (ARNG) at Camp Grafton for nearly 20 years. His unit engaged in training heavy equipment operations, munitions and civic engineering programs and

projects, building small bridges and water purification projects. Duane had the opportunity to participate in special training in Central America (Panama and Honduras) in the early 1990’s. He suffered a debilitating stroke in January of 2000. As result Duane retired from the ARMG and eventually became a long-time resident of the Long Term Care facility in Rugby.

He is survived by his brothers Conrad “Billy” of Towner, Carl (Anna) of Iowa City, IO, Todd (Chris) of Glendale Heights, IL, Tim (Karen) of Towner and David (Marcie) of Loma, CO; sisters Jane Gunter, Edin-burg, ND, Judy Schell of Rugby, Metta (Frank) Schell of Towner, Mary (Jim) Thom and Amy (Brad) Hofmann both of Bismarck and Dina (Kent) Ness of Fargo, ND, many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, infant twin brother Dwight, stillborn sister, brother John

Oliver, brother in law Larry Gunter and his grandparents.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, January 20, 2020 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Towner with spring burial in the Union Cemetery, Towner. Mr. Wally Fretland, officiating.

Casket Bearers: Quentin, Robby, Neil and Chris Schell and William and Emmett Swearson.

Arrangements with the Anderson Funeral Home of Towner, North Dakota.

Online registry: www.funeralsbyanderson.com