Reverend Garry Swagger, age 74, of Letcher, SD died Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at Merrick Medical Center in Central City, NE. Memorial services will be 1:00 PM Saturday January 5, 2018 at the Mitchell Wesleyan Church in Mitchell, SD, burial will be at a later date. Visitation will be from noon to 1:00 PM Saturday at Mitchell Wesleyan Church.

Rev. Garry Lloyd Swagger was born on December 3, 1944, in Amery, Wisconsin, to Kenneth Swagger and Ruth "Margaret" (Rosen) Swagger. He was the oldest of eight children. As a child he was quite active and inquisitive and loved living on a farm in Lake City, Minnesota. His mother would often give him a book and tell him to go read for a while. Garry loved riding horses and was thrilled when his father bought him a beautiful palomino named Lucky. Garry graduated from Lincoln High School in Lake City. From there he attended Winona State College for one year, worked at St. Mary's Hospital, part of the Mayo Medical Center for a time, and then entered North Central Bible College in Minneapolis in pastoral studies. He became an ordained minister in the early 1970's. Garry loved his Lord and Savior and, in turn, loved his parishioners. He had a special heart for the children and youth while still caring for adults. He had an unusual sense of humor, and had a wonderful way of making up stories to tell his own children and nieces and nephews who lovingly referred to him as Uncle Scary or Big G.

While at North Central Bible College Garry met and fell in love with Joyce Cummings. They married in 1966 and went into the ministry. To this union were added three children: Scott, D'An, and D'Nelle. They served churches in Hopkins and Lake City, MN, Nekoosa and Cornell, WI, Burton and Springview, NE, and for the past 24.5 years have served the Loomis Congregational Church and the Letcher Community Church in South Dakota.

Thankful to have shared his life are his wife, Joyce, three children: Scott Swagger (Lori Mandolfo) of Elmwood, NE; D'An Supernaw (Barry) of Central City, NE; D'Nelle Carnahan (Colin) of Boulder CO; five grandchildren: Dylan and Ethan Swagger, Elaina and Donevan Callahan, and Landon Carnahan.

He is survived by six siblings: Cheryl Bowman (Gene) of Rochester, MN; Rev. Randall Swagger (Diane) of Canon City, CO; Rev. Steve Swagger (Jackie) of Winona, MN; Gene Swagger of Bellingham, WA; Wendy Huls (Mike) of Rochester, MN; Rev. David Swagger (Sherri) of Red Wing, MN; one brother-in-law, Rev. Howard Cummings (Margie) of Aurora, CO; one sister-in-law, Wanema Wieczorek of Mitchell, SD; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his parents, one sister, Diane; paternal and maternal grandparents; parental in-laws, Rev. and Mrs. J.M. Cummings and two brothers-in-law: Roger Koeshall and Glen Wieczorek.