TRUMAN — Lucille Schwanz of Truman passed away peacefully on Friday, June 12, 2020, at Heartland Senior Living, at the age of 93. A funeral service will be 11 a.m. Thursday, June 18, 2020, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, South Branch, with burial immediately following the service at St. John’s Lutheran Church South Branch Cemetery. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the family asks that guests follow social distancing guidelines.

Zaharia Family Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements. www.zahariafamilyfuneral.com

Lucille was born July 8, 1926, in Pleasant Mound, Blue Earth County, Minn., to Mildred (Dodge) and Faye Robinson. She was raised on the family farm until she moved to attend Minnesota Business College in Minneapolis. She received her secretarial certification and worked as a legal secretary for a law firm in Fairmont, Minn. She loved numbers and loved the work there.

Lucille met Gilbert Schwanz at a dance and they were married two years later on Dec. 19, 1947. They moved to their farm on the Martin/Watonwan County line and lived there happily raising five children.

Mom loved raising her babies and loved all of the babies who arrived in the family from then on. She always said those were the happiest times in her life.

She was a hard worker/partner in managing all the livestock, raising chickens every year, helping raise huge gardens and crops to feed the family. Life on the farm included a strong sense of community, working with neighbors and church events.

Lucille and Gilbert were very active in the South Branch school (lunch programs, etc.) and all of the kid’s church programs.

Neighbors, relatives, and friends were constant visitors who dropped in and brought so much laughter over the years. She especially loved having her sister, Ramona, come to help with baking and canning and their laughter, while they were working, was contagious.

After all of the kids were gone from home, Lucille became very active in sewing quilts along with other church women. She was so proud of the hundreds of quilts they all worked on together, but tirelessly worked on the squares and piecing them together on her own, as well.

Lucille and Gilbert moved into Truman in 2009 and continued to enjoy family and friends dropping in to visit and play cards. She also continued to spend hours on the quilts for church/Lutheran World Relief. Gilbert passed away in September 2013.

Lucille moved into Heartland Senior Living shortly after and lived there for 6 1/2 years. She loved being a part of all of the activities offered. Whatever was happening, she was ready to head down the hall to join in. She was chosen as Valentine Queen in 2015 and got to ride in the Truman Days Parade. At first, she didn’t like the attention of being in the parade, but she was quickly loving it and throwing candy out for the kids.

She loved to read and devoured books that her daughter, Sandy, brought her. Recently, she started to not be interested in reading anymore and started saying she was ready to see Dad. When the time came, she very peacefully left to be with him and Kurtis and all the beloved friends and family and God in Heaven.

Lucille is survived by one son, Kevin Schwanz of Bemidji, Minn.; three daughters, Kathleen LaFrensen and partner, Bill Brant of Kansas City, Mo., Sandra Schwanz and husband Pat Cook of Minneapolis, Minn., Sharon Thoms of Arizona; five grandchildren, Matthew Schwanz, Anne McNutt, Daniel Thoms, Andrea Lucca, Sarah Schwanz; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Donations can be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church of South Branch in St. James, Minn. or St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Truman.

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