Stanely Warren Swaney

Stanley Warren Swaney was the youngest of three sons born to Lawrence Alfred and Opal Bernice (Torstenson) Swaney on June 14, 1934, in Vermillion, South Dakota. Stanley spent his childhood in Des Moines, Iowa, and St. Lawrence, South Dakota, hunting, fishing, playing sports and working on the family farm with his two brothers and parents. Stanley graduated from St. Lawrence High School in 1952, where he met the love of his life, Dephane Joyce VanDenBerg. They were married on September 12, 1954.

Stanley worked a variety of jobs after they married: hauling freight and propane and pumping gas at the local service station. In 1956, he went to work for Willis Dalby, a subcontractor for Stake Construction, where he learned to climb poles and string telephone wire. He helped Stake Construction string telephone lines across South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Iowa. He worked for Willy until 1959 when he went to work on the farm for his father-in-law, John Henry VanDenBerg. He and Dephane later rented a farm on which they worked side by¬ side, including milking sixteen head of cows by hand twice a day. When the farm sold, Stanley went to work for Ree Electric in Miller, South Dakota, to climb poles and learn the power industry he came to love. In 1971, he moved his family to Colorado and went to work for Mountain Parks Electric in Walden, Colorado. He worked for Mountain Parks, doing what he loved, until he retired at age 66 in 2000.

Stanley was an avid bowler for many years, and even when he wasn't able to do much else, he continued to bowl with those with whom he shared that love. He loved to snowmobile and was a member of the SnowSnakes for a number of years.

He was baptized in 1955 into the United Methodist Church and was a member of the United Methodist Church in Miller and Walden.

He loved his family and enjoyed spending time with them whenever he could. He loved to hunt and fish with the grandkids and taught them all something about playing video games. He would spend as much time as possible with the great grandkids, traveling to the Fort Collins area whenever he could.

Stanley was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Donald and Ronald; three nephews, David Swaney, Brent Swaney, and infant, Brian Swaney; brothers-in-law, Gene Stevens and Marvin Sessions; sisters-in-law, Sharon Brace and Beryl Swaney; and mother in-law and father in-law, John and Beulah VanDenBerg.

He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years Dephane and three children: Lynn Warren (Joyce), Farmington, NM; Timothy John (Missy), Pierce, CO; Pamela Jo LaCount (friend Ted Bina), Rifle, CO; six grandchildren: Darcy (David) Tenan, Ft. Collins, CO; Ashlee (John) O'Neil, Ft. Collins, CO; Tyler (Shayna) Swaney, Ft. Collins, CO; Chance (Elizabeth Pickett) Swaney, Ft. Lupton, CO; Zachary (Shanna) LaCount, Lovington, NM; Wade (friend Alexis Schreiter) LaCount, Laramie, WY; step-grandson, Ryan (Melanie) Wells, Saratoga, WY; four great-grandsons, Roy and Kade Swaney, Owen O'Neil and Tucker Swaney; one "special order" great-granddaughter McKayla O'Neil; and step-great-grandchildren, Logan, Haylie, and Savannah Wells, Drew Shaw, Roman and Ashlyn Pickett and Tyler Steinmetz. Adopted family, Richard and Tami Spaulding, Joe and Andi Lance, and Chet and Linda Robben. He will be greatly missed by numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Stanley W. Swaney Memorial Fund, Mountain Valley Bank, Walden, Colorado or charity of your choice in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, October 30, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at the North Park Community Church in Walden, Colorado.