Clarence Schwamman

Clarence “Slim” Joseph Schwamman, age 86, of St. Lucas, IA, died on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, at his home. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, November 19, 2016, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church, 307 East Main Street, St. Lucas, IA, with Rev. Kyle Diggman presiding. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 3:00-7:00 p.m., on Friday, November 18, 2016, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church, 307 East Main Street, St. Lucas, IA, and also after 9:00 a.m., at the church on Saturday morning. There will be a rosary at 3:00 p.m., on Friday. Clarence was born Dec. 4, 1929, to Henry and Cecilia (Panos) Schwamman in St. Lucas, Iowa. He was raised in Lawler and graduated from Lawler High School. In the years following high school, he worked at his uncle’s rock quarry. Clarence enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1950 and proudly served his country until his retirement in 1972. He began his career stationed in Japan during the Korean War. After the war, he served at radar sites in Waverly, Iowa, and Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. He attended computer maintenance school at Kessler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. and IBM factory school in Kingston, N.Y. He was then stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base and Sioux City Air Force Base. He installed and maintained computer systems at the NORAD Command Post at Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, Colo. During this time, he attended Non-Commissioned Officer Academy in California. He was later stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines and completed his military career at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, having achieved the rank of Master Sergeant. Following his military career, Clarence worked 17 years at Sara Lee Corp. in New Hampton as a maintenance supervisor. Clarence enjoyed dancing, playing cards and golfing at the South Winn Country Club, researching and owning cars, following sports and talking politics. He was an avid consumer of news and a loyal Lawrence Welk fan. He was a member of the American Legion, VFW and the Knights of Columbus. Clarence is survived by Darlene (Bulgren) Schwamman, his wife of 59 years; his four children, Michael (Pia) Schwamman of Wichita, Kan., Jim (Rita) Schwamman of Castle Rock, Colo., Gail (Tim) Bradford of Waverly, Iowa, and Patrick (Barb) Schwamman of Osage, Iowa; his grandchildren, Maria (John) Charbonneaux, Steven and Greg (Kelly) Schwamman, Thomas and Laura (Mark Clevenger) Schwamman, Adam, Abby and Brian Bradford and Lucas and Libby Schwamman; great-grandsons, Flynn Charbonneaux and Jude Schwamman; brother-in-law, Roger (Kathy) Bulgren of Lakeville, Minn.; and two sisters-in-law, Janice (Warren) Anderson of Lakeville, Minn. and Lois (Leon) Dietzenbach of Palm Bay, Fla. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Melvin and Richard Schwamman; daughter-in-law, Patricia Schwamman; parents-in-law, Albert and Clara Bulgren and brother-in-law, Paul Dodge. In lieu of flowers the family would like donations made to the Saint Lucas Historical Society, PO Box 295, St. Lucas, IA 52166