Jessie Swan

Jessie M. Swan passed away Monday, January 31, 2005, in Port Orchard. She was 95 and had lived in the area all her life. She was born March 9, 1909 in South Colby in a family of 7 brothers and sisters. Her parents were Juaquina and Kenneth Newell. She attended the Harper School where she was an excellent but "mischievous" student. She often cared for her younger brothers and sisters. In 1929 she married Gordon M. Swan. They started a general store and building materials business in Harper, which became Evergreen Lumber. While living in Harper they had two sons, Gordon, born in 1936, and Duane, born in 1937. The lumberyard was sold to Gordon's brother Mark and the family moved to the "Mile Hill" area closer to Port Orchard. Here they built their home and started Swan's Wrecking Yard and Towing Service. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1945. Jessie lived the rest of her life in this area, helping her husband, raising her children and caring for many grandchildren and other aging family members. She loved her home and garden. She grew especially beautiful climbing roses. Her interests ranged from fly-fishing to music (she could play any song on the piano by ear), from their apple orchard in the Wenatchee Valley to the many skills she had as a homemaker. She thrived on hard work and getting her "chores" done for the day. She was committed to old-fashioned values but was always modern in her application of them. Her intelligence and ready sense of humor were her trademark. They served her well in good times and adversity. Jessie and Gordon had celebrated 67 years of marriage before he passed away in 1996. She will be remembered most as a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She is survived by her son, Duane Swan of Port Orchard, her daughter, Elizabeth Loveness of Vashon Island, her brother Morry Newell of Seattle, grandsons, Gordy, Brian, and TJ Swan, Ghyrn and Colin Loveness, and granddaughter, Denise Swan and many, many friends, relatives, and admirers in this area. A memorial gathering is planned for Saturday, February 5th, 2:00 PM at the Loveness home on Vashon Island.