Verna Marlyn Swanstrom

February 23, 1940 -
March 14, 2025
We wish to share and celebrate our wonderful memories of our beloved mother, Verna M. Swanstrom who passed away on March 14, 2025 after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Verna was born on February 23, 1940 in Racine, Wisconsin. Verna was raised by a loving mother and devoted father who instilled the importance of faith and family. She was the second youngest of seven children, having four sisters and two brothers. She relocated to Edmonds, WA with her family during her high school years where she graduated from Edmonds High School in 1958.
Verna was the only member of her family to attend college. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Teaching with a minor in music from Concordia Teachers College, Seward, Nebraska. She loved teaching young children and spent her first years after college teaching first, second and third grade.
While attending Concordia, she met her sweetheart, Eldon. Eldon was raised as a farmer and she always loved to proclaim in her good-humored manor that "he was outstanding in his field". Eldon joined the Air Force shortly after meeting one another, and they fell in love through handwritten letters while he was away at his first duty station. They married on June 27, 1964 in Yuba City, California. She held on to all those letters over the years, and reading them now, their love for each other is evident.
After marriage, military life sent them around the world together. They lived in Germany, Hawaii, Colorado, Virginia, California, Arizona, and Washington. During this adventure, they started their family and were blessed with four children, Frederick, Jeffrey, Eric and Catherine. Verna was always proud to say that none of her four kids were born in the same place. After retiring from the military in 1981, they settled in Burien, Washington to be close to Verna's parents and siblings.
Verna's life was dedicated to raising children in the Christian faith. She spent the next 24 years after, settling in Burien, enjoying her career in education. She was a teacher at both Calvary Lutheran in West Seattle and King of Kings in Renton. She earned her Master's Degree in Educational Curriculum Development from Seattle University in 1986. She successfully finished her career as a principal/director.
Her faith and her family were always the foundation of her life. She was very active in the Lutheran church whether it was playing the organ at services or directing both kids and adult choirs or teaching Sunday School. Verna did a great job raising her four kids and the friends that were constantly in and out of their house who often also called her "mom". Once her own kids grew up, she continued in the tradition of raising her grandkids in the Christian faith and did everything in her power to love and nurture them.
She will be deeply missed. She was a strong and kind lady who always maintained a good sense of humor. Her support and compassion were easily felt, and her sense of humor and recognizable giggle often worked its way into most conversations.
Verna is survived by her children; Frederick (spouse Crystal), Jeffery (Jeannie), Eric (spouse Kathy) and Catherine (spouse Frank) and ten beloved grandchildren; Alex (spouse Sarah), Rachael, Rebecca, Jonathon, Sarah, Elise, Meredith, Mari, Mackenzie, Delaney and great grandchild Addie. Verna is preceded in death by her parents, her siblings and her sweetheart, Eldon.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, March 25, at 11:00 AM at Bonney Watson Funeral Home Chapel, 16445 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA 98188.