Nancy Swain

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Nancy J. Swain was born in Soldier, Iowa, on September 15, 1942, to parents, Roy and Lena (Hamlin) Swain. She lived on the farm with her parents and six siblings. She attended Soldier Consolidated School and graduated in 1960. After high school Nancy graduated from Ellsworth Junior College in Iowa Falls, Iowa. With her Volkswagen packed, she headed towards Minneapolis to start her career in the business world.

Nancy’s job ventures took her to railroad and handbag companies as well as snow shovels, to name a few. During this time, she recognized a need in business for secretarial support. She was ahead of her time when she created a secretarial service called Avant-Garde which she owned and operated for many years through the late 70’s and 80’s. In the early 90’s, Nancy felt compelled to move closer to the farm in Soldier to help her aging mother. Omaha was the final stop after she lived in Council Bluffs and Fremont. Nancy stayed in her Omaha home until 2022 when she began to downsize and made Parson’s House Assisted Living her home.

Because of Nancy’s experience in administrative business, she was hired as the Administrative Assistant to the Assistant President of Bellevue University. While working for the university she saw an opportunity and went back to college to receive her bachelor’s degree at the age of 69.

Nancy’s life was her work, family, the Vikings and the Twins. She loved her nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews as a parent loves their children. She was always interested in their childhood events and later life successes.

Nancy died on August 16, 2025, and was met in heaven by her parents, Lena and Roy; four brothers, Gordon (in infancy), Larry, Terry and Richard; two sisters, Kay (Ken) Swain Harfst and Sandra Swain Tillson; and nephews; Kent Harfst and Malik Tillson. She is survived by one sister, Kathy (Dennis) Swain Kennedy of Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Other survivors include:

Nephews: Monty, Lonny, Bruce and Kyle (Terri)

Nieces: Jill, Karin (Mick), Becky (David), Tanya (Dejo), Tracy, Tami, Lara, and Gail

Great-nephews: Matthew (Sarah), Nicholas, Andrew (Ashley), Brady (Sarah), Maxwell, Ladi (Karen), Aiden, Landen, Easton and Calvin

Great-nieces: Jessica (Michael), Kelli, Taylor (Stephen), Hannah (Joey), Lauren, Jenna, Loly, Channel, Drew, Elle and Emry

Great-great nephews: Bentley, Michael, Oluremi, Griffin and Louie

Great-great nieces: Phoenix, A’leia, Molly, Na’Rai, Ma’Leeya and Nevaeh

Aunts: Joan Hamlin and Louise Hamlin

Numerous cousins and special friends, Ginnie and Paul