Aldeen SWARTZENDRUBER Obituary (1938 - 2005)

Aldeen Claire Swartzendruber, 66, of Worland, WY, died February 17, 2005 in Lake Havasu City, AZ, after a lengthy battle with cancer.She was born May 11, 1938 in Drake, ND to Paul Clayton and Leota Mae (Houser) Peterson. She was raised at McCluskey, ND and attended school there until her sophomore year in high school. The Peterson family then moved to Worland and she graduated from Washakie County High School with the class of 1956.Aldeen then attended the University of Wyoming where she graduated with a degree in nursing.Aldeen married Dwight C. Russell in 1959 in Worland. They later divorced. Following her first marriage, she lived at Spokane, WA, League City, TX, Roy, UT and Victorville, CA, before moving back to Worland in 1972. She married Ronald G. Swartzendruber March 17, 1978 in Worland.She worked as a registered nurse and also taught nursing at a college in Alvin, TX. After returning to Worland she became a nurse for the Washakie County health nurse and a few years later became the county health nurse, a position she held until retiring in 1995.Aldeen was a member of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church where she played the church organ. She was also a member of the Worland B&PW Club and the American Cancer Society, where she was an advocate for breast cancer awareness through Reach to Recovery and the Gorgeous Gals. She was instrumental in the Wyoming Breast and Cervical Early Detection Program and was a member of the Red Hat Society.Her hobbies included quilting, sewing, crocheting and knitting, oil painting, reading, camping and shopping.Aldeen was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Clarice Fabela.She is survived by her husband, Ron Swartzendruber of Worland, WY; sons, David (RaeLynn) Russell of Rock Springs, WY, Bryan (Larry Hoyt) Russell of Lafayette, CO and Terry (Debbie) Swartzendruber of Steamboat Springs, CO; daughters, Diane (Todd) McCaffrey of Worland, WY, Rhonda (Rick) Almaras of Casper, WY and Renee (Sean) Robinson of Anchorage, AK; brother, Lowell (Punkie) Peterson of Worland, WY; sister, Fern (Don) Meseberg of Billings, MT; 10 grandchildren and 9 step grandchildren.The funeral will be held Tuesday, February 22, 2:00 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Worland, WY with Dr. L.E. "Bud" Surles officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Worland.Memorials may be made to the Aldeen Swartzendruber Memorial Nursing Scholarship in care of Big Horn Federal Savings Bank, PO Box 1239, Worland, WY 82401.Veile Mortuary of Worland, WY and Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home & Crematory of Lake Havasu City, AZ are in charge of arrangements.