Penelope Swanberg

Penelope Ann Swanberg passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, at the Hospice House in Omaha, Neb., at the age of 77 years, with her family by her side.

A private family service will be held in Door County Wisconsin, in October of 2017.

Penny, the daughter of Beth and John E. Couillard, was born on Oct. 13, 1939, in Manitowoc, Wis.  Penny was raised in Wisconsin and moved to Minneapolis, Minn. her junior year of high school.  She attended the University of Minnesota, where she met John Swanberg.

On Sept. 2, 1960, they were united in marriage in Minneapolis. Their family moved to numerous communities through the years, while John was with the Woolworth Company. They settled in Clear Lake in 1969, where John managed the Ben Franklin Store.

Penny enjoyed being involved with PTA and Girl Scouts when her girls were young.  She worked at Opportunity Village and was a paralegal with a local law firm.  She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, and later a member of Galilean Lutheran Church.

Penny was a member of the singing group, “The Keynotes,” for many years, traveling and singing with her friends.

In 1986, she and John moved to Eagle Grove, Iowa and purchased their first Ben Franklin Store.  She worked beside her husband, until they retired in 1998.  Penny was very proud of their 52 years of marriage.

Penny enjoyed playing her organ and piano, horseback riding, sailing and golfing.  She directed the bell choir at Evangelical Lutheran Church while they resided in Eagle Grove.  She was also an avid Green Bay Packer fan, loved to read, knit, stamping, and meeting with friends to work with her Creative Memories books.

She was preceded in death by her husband, and parents.

She is survived by her daughters, Kristi Dziatkowski and husband, Mitch Dziatkowski, of Omaha, Neb. and Karina Stewart and husband, Paul Stewart, of Omaha; grandson, Christopher Dziatkowski, of Omaha; and sister, Pamela Couillard Fortin; as well as three nieces and one nephew.