Ida Swigart

Ida May Nyberg was born in 1933 in Duluth, Saint Louis County, Minnesota, the daughter of Jacob E. Nyberg (a native of Sweden) and Mary (Preston) Nyberg, a native of Wisconsin. The Nyberg family lived in Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan in 1935. In 1940, Ida, her sister Margaret and her parents were living in Sterling Township, Macomb County, Michigan. At that time Jacob was a truck driver for a sewer construction company and her mother was a homemaker. In 1949, the Nybergs joined the Immanuel Lutheran Church, a Swedish-American church, in Detroit, Michigan. The 1950 census located Jacob, Mary, Ida and Margaret residing on Fourteen Mile Road in Sterling Township, Macomb County, Michigan; Jacob was working as a tool and die maker. In June 1955, Ida traveled with her parents on the Stockholm to Sweden, where they planned to stay three months. She returned in August 1955 on the Kungsholm.

The Kansas City Star, 30 December 1956: “The marriage of Miss Ida May Nyberg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob E. Nyberg of Detroitk and Mr. John Edward Swigart, son of Dr. and Mrs. Edward C. Swigart of Kansas City, Kansas, took place November 23 at the Immanuel Lutheran church in Detroit. White chrysanthemums and gladioli were arranged as decorations on the church altar. The bride wore a floor length gown of white taffeta and lace and carried a heart-shaped bouquet of gardenias. Her attendants wore matching gowns of peacock blue lace over taffeta and carried yellow chrysanthemums. The bride’s mother chose a gown of powder and Copenhagen blue and Mrs. Swigart, mother of the bridegroom, chose a powder blue gown. Attending the wedding from Kansas City were Dr. and Mrs. Swigart, Mrs. Heywood H. Davis and Miss Anna L. Orr.”

 

The Swigarts had two sons, Preston (about 1960) and Matthew (about 1973). I first met Mrs. Swigart when she was my music teacher at Stiles Elementary School in either fourth or fifth grade. There was no special music room at Stiles, so Mrs. Swigart would bring her supplies from classroom to classroom for music class. Sometimes she had a piano, but more often her autoharp. She taught us the basics of reading music and organized the winter and spring music programs. It was an uphill battle. Very few of my classmates were comfortable singing loud enough to be heard; it was a roomful of social and performance anxiety. Mrs. Swigart was always very kind and soft-spoken, sort of a grandmotherly figure, and an excellent musician. She remained in contact with our class as we grew up, because her younger son Matthew was one of us. She always remembered all our names and would greet us at big school events.

 

Ida’s father Jacob died in 1983; her mother Mary passed away in 1991. The Swigarts lived in Bloomfield Hills. 

 

The Detroit Free Press, 29 March 2017: “Ida May Swigart, age 83. Beloved wife of John Swigart. Loving mother of Preston Swigart (Michelle) and Matthew Swigart (Juleece). Grandmother of Lindsey, Betsy, Alyssa, Preston and Gavin. Dearest sister of Ann. Ida retired from Avondale Schools where she taught music for several decades. Visitation is Wednesday, March 29 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Pixley Funeral Home in Rochester at 322 W. University. In state Thursday, March 30 at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Funeral at 11 a.m. at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church at 5631 N. Adams Rd, Bloomfield Hills. Memorials to AAUW Fund at Community Foundation of Greater Rochester at 303 East Street, Rochester, MI 48307. She will be missed.”

 

The Detroit Free Press, 21 December 2018: “John E. Swigart, age 90 of Bloomfield Hills, peacefully departed this life on December 21, 2018. Preceded in death by wife Ida, and survived by two sons Preston and Matthew, along with five grandchildren. John was a lover of all things mechanical, an engineer by trade, an avid rose gardener and loving husband of over 50 years. Visitation will begin at 9:30am December 28th, 2018, until a prayer service at 11:30am, Pixley Funeral Home, 322 W. University Dr., Rochester, MI 48307.”