Bennie Louis Swager

Bennie Louis Swager, 85, formerly of Pontiac and Flanagan, died at 2:15 a.m. Sunday (October 25, 2015) at the Chestnut Ridge Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center where he had been recovering from a stroke. Prior to that he had been living at White Oaks Assisted Living in Cumming, GA.

 Cremation rites will be accorded and a memorial service will be held at a later date at Calvert & Martin Funeral Home, Cullom, IL. Inurnment will follow in Sullivan Center Cemetery rural Cullom.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggest memorials be made to his church or the Pontiac Public Library. 

Bennie was born April 25, 1930, in Pontiac, the son of Lloyd Lewis and Catherine Irene (Quinn) Swager. He married the love of his life, Edith Louise Shapland, in Kempton M. E. Church, Illinois on April 18, 1953. Edi & Bennie were happily married for 60 years before she preceded him in death on November 5, 2014. Bennie has said on numerous occasions that was the smartest decision he ever made, asking Edi to marry him.

 Surviving are his four sons and one daughter: Karl (Karen) Swager of Cumming GA, Lloyd (Sandra) Swager of Racine WI; Kyle Swager of Bloomington; and Bryan (Emily) Swager of Sheridan IN; and Catherine (Kim) Davis of Bloomington, IL.

He is also survived by eight grandchildren; Nicholaus Hadden, David Hadden, Michael Hadden, Westin Swager, Mason Swager, Geneva Swager, Michelle Swager, and Troy Swager; nine great-grandchildren: Caleb Hadden, Chloe Hadden, Nevaeh Rayne Young, Gavin Hadden, Michaela Hadden, Jackson Ismael Rey Rodriguez, Evan Swager-Harris, Emberlynn Swager-Harris, and Nicholas Swager-Harris; three step-grandchildren, Benjamin (Shonda) Baty, Gretchen Hutchison, and Gunther Hutchison; two step great-grandchildren, Madison and Dakota Baty; six foster grandchildren and 17 foster great-grandchildren.

Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents and his two sisters.

 Bennie attended Lincoln Grade School and Pontiac Township High School. Although he graduated from Pontiac Township High School, he completed the last semester of his senior year at Madison East High School, Madison, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison as well as the University of Illinois. He received his degree from the University of New York, in Albany, New York.

He was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, Pontiac, serving as junior warden for 8 years while living in Flanagan, Illinois. Since living in Georgia with his son, he has been a faithful member of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Milton, GA, He is also a life member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Air Force Sergeants Association. Bennie is extremely proud of his over 75 years of service with the Boy Scouts of America, first as a Cub Scout, then Boy Scout, Scout Leader, adult volunteer, and ending as an executive - professional scout. He maintained his registration and continued volunteering whenever called upon. As a genealogist, he is also a member of the Lexington Genealogical Society in Lexington, Illinois where he oversaw the books for all 79 cemeteries in Livingston County. Lexington maintained cemetery notebooks for all of Livingston, McLean, Woodford, and Ford Counties.

Condolences may be expressed at www.mcdonaldandson.com.

Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home, 150 Sawnee Drive, Cumming, GA  30040   (770) 886.9899