Keith Robert Swanson

Dr. Keith Robert Swanson passed away on Aug. 24, 2025 at Heritage House in Atlantic, Iowa. Born on Feb. 5, 1932 in Webster County in a bad snowstorm, his father met the doctor at the south corner of the road and brought him to the house by horse and wagon. Born to Walter and Frances Swanson, Keith was the youngest of four boys: Vern, Gordon and Lowell. Dr. Keith Swanson is survived by his wife, Berniece, and his five children: Laura (David) Wright, Eric (Virginia) Swanson, Jeffrey (Linda) Swanson, Shelley (Anastasios) Velman, and Scott (Pam) Swanson. Dr. Swanson has seven grandchildren: Katie Wright, Sarah (Levi) Klopping, Steven (Mariah) Wright, Zakris Swanson, Kalista Velman, Teddy Velman, Sullivan Swanson, and four great-grandchildren.
Entering school at age 4, Keith excelled and liked helping other kids with their numbers and reading. The elementary school was in a small Swedish town, Boxholm. Raised on the farm, Keith intended to be a farmer. Keith was an excellent student and was catcher for the baseball team, played the trombone, and was Captain of his high school basketball team in Dayton. He graduated at 17 and began working as a carpenter for the company that built wooden grain elevators. On Sept. 27, 1951, in Lamoni, Keith was standing high up in an open doorway of the grain elevator, threw a wooden board out, and lost his balance. He fell 40 feet onto railroad tracks. Keith was taken to the Lamoni hospital and told he had injured his back and legs. Transferred by his small town doctor to Fort Dodge, paralzyed from the waist down, he was told he would never walk again. Being a stubborn Swede, Keith was not going to accept that diagnosis. His small town doctor transferred him to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.. At Mayo, they performed surgery and fused his back and right ankle. Eight weeks later he was sent home. His mother had watched him getting physical therapy at Mayo and when they returned back to the farm, she continued his therapy. It was obvious that Keith would never be able to farm again. Keith had seen good doctors and bad doctors and he wanted to be a good doctor. Thankfully insurance from his accident paid for his college tuition. Keith was in a body cast, using crutches, and starting his studies at Simpson College in Indianola. Attending science classes meant going up two flights of stairs sitting on his bottom and sliding backwards. Keith's roommate was a big Greed football player named Donald Klisares. Don's girlfriend had a roommate named Berniece Ruby. Berniece asked Keith to go to a dorm dance, and dating began.
Keith was diligent in his studies, attending summer school and finishing his BS in three years. He had been accepted to Harvard medical school, but decided to attend medical school at the University of Iowa. The couple agreed they should get married prior to entering medical school, so on Sept. 10, 1954, they wed. The next four years of medical school were filled with odd jobs for both: typing thesis papers, working as a nurse, painting houses, and living in small apartments on a pullout couch. Married life was full of adventures. In 1958, Keith graduated from Medical School at the University of Iowa, did a year internship at Broadlawns Hospital in Des Moines, and the same year, his first child was born, Laura.
Keith started his General Practice in Hull. Four more children were born; Eric, Jeffrey, Shelley, and Scott. In 1965, Keith went into surgical residency at Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. After finishing surgical residency, the Swansons moved to Atlantic, where Keith set up his own medical practice and performed surgery at five surrounding hospitals. An office call was $13, a house call was $18, and delivering a baby was $200. Dr. Swanson started his day at 5 a.m. making hospital rounds, at 6 a.m. his RN and surgical nurse, Sharon Smith, would drive with him to Greenfield, Audubon, Guthrie Center, Manning, or Atlantic (rain, shine, ice or snow storm) performing general surgery. At 1 p.m. the office would be open for General Practice. Dr. Swanson was usually home by 5:30 p.m. for dinner with the family and then back to the hospital at 6:30 p.m. for more rounds.
Dr. Keith Swanson loved to be involved in the community. He sang tenor at the United Methodist Church, was on the church board, was a Mason for 65 years, was on many school boards, Atlantic City Council member, Mayor of Atlantic from 1974-77, Simpson College Board of Trustees for over 24 years, and the list goes on. Dr. Swanson was rarely seen sitting down, and if he was sitting, it was watching various sporting events, or playing bridge with his wife and friends.
Over the years, Dr. Swanson and his wife would travel with their good friends Marvin (Fritz) and Dot Diekevers to foreign lands, visiting over 18 countries. Keith also enjoy his missionary work in Romania and Guatemala. However, Doc was most comfortable at home, driving around looking at the farmers' crops.
In 1997, Dr. Swanson officially "retired.' Doc decided sitting and doing nothing wasn't for him, he wanted to do missionary work in Africa. His wife said that people here need help too, so Doc became the "Donation Only Doc." Dr. Swanson reopened his office, set out a red shoe box with the word "Donation" written across the front in black maker. Dr. Swanson was not going to take insurance or charge for office calls. He only wanted people to donate what they could afford. He just wanted to help people. He spent many years donating his time at the office, with his wife, Berniece, at the front desk. At age 87, Doc thought he was finally ready to retire and closed up the office for good. Both he and Berniece could now concentrate on their solitaire games and mow their large lawn.
Doc would frequently be hear saying, "Is there anything I can do for you?" He would speak to anyone and everyone, he loved hearing other peoples stories. Doc said he had never met a stranger, they were just someone he hadn't met yet. Doctor Swanson's goal in life was to serve God and help people. On his office waiting room wall hung a painting that said, 'Physicians treat, God heals."
On Nov. 6, 2024, Doc fell and cracked his pelvis bone in two places. His heath deteriorated after the fall. Dr. Swanson donated his body to the University of Iowa Medical School.
No services are planned. You may go to: schmidtfamilyfuneralhomes.com to leave a message for the family.
Memorial Contributions may be made to the family for future designation.