Joleen Schwarz

Joleen Schwarz passed away suddenly on June 3, 2024, from a hemorrhagic stroke after enjoying a fun day spent with her visiting son. She was born in June of 1940 in the small town of Ida Grove, Iowa. Joleen was raised on a farm and graduated from Schleswig County High School in 1958 where she enjoyed playing basketball and loved to go dancing.

On the farm, Joleen had many responsibilities that included milking cows, collecting eggs, and cooking with her mother. She is the fifth of seven siblings and had wonderful memories of taking care of Gaylen, her youngest brother. She enjoyed telling the story of when she mixed up the sugar and salt quantities the first time she tried making an apple pie.

Joleen married Ken Schwarz on August 6, 1960, in Schleswig, Iowa. They have four children: Traci (with husband John Peterzalek), Guy, Mike, & Tanis (with husband Wendell Mead). She is survived by her children, 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, LaDonna and Janice and brothers, John and Gaylen. Joleen was preceded in death by her sisters Iona and Ramona as well as her beloved husband, Ken, who passed only 15 months earlier.

Joleen went to college at Wayne State and graduated with a teaching degree in 1960. She spent a couple years teaching elementary before moving to Ames, Iowa where she worked in the Interior Design department at Iowa State to help support Ken as he went to school. She gave birth to Traci and Guy while living at Pamel Court, the former housing complex for married students at ISU.

They then moved to Clinton, Iowa and added Mike & Tanis to the family before making another move to Marshalltown, Iowa. Joleen was a devoted mother and wife, always providing for the needs of her family. She loved to cook and ensured we all ate dinner together as long as we lived at home – you also had to be seated by dinner time and help clean up after eating. She was always the teacher and taught us how to do everything we needed to live on our own, from operating a washing machine to making sure we all had Betty Crocker cookbooks. Her love was as practical as it was nurturing.

Joleen sold the Plus network to merchants which later became known as debit cards. She became a real estate agent while living in New Jersey & then she and Ken purchased Texas Electrical Supply Company in 1992. She poured her time into running the office until she and Ken retired in 2001. She spent as much time as she could with her children and grandchildren while attending to her husband as he battled many medical issues.

Joleen loved to golf, entertain, and play double solitaire with anyone who was willing to lose. She always stayed busy, but still found quality time to spend with you. Her heart was broken when Ken passed after 63 years of marriage and struggled with loneliness in his absence. She set her heart on seeing him again one day.

The family will receive friends for a visitation from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Thursday, June13, 2024, at Allen Family Funeral Options.

Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday June 14, 2024, at Preston Meadow Lutheran Church, 6801 Coit Rd, Plano, Texas with a reception to follow after the funeral.

If desired, contributions may be made in Joleen’s name to; Kiva Microfunds, and mailed to: Kiva, Attn: Finance Department, 986 Mission Street, Suite #400, San Francisco, California 94103.