Reverend Garry Swagger, 74, of Letcher, died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, at Merrick Medical Center in Central City, Neb.

Memorial services will be 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 5, at the Mitchell Wesleyan Church in Mitchell. Burial will be at a later date. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Saturday at Mitchell Wesleyan Church.

Rev. Garry Lloyd Swagger was born on Dec. 3, 1944, in Amery, Wisc. to Kenneth and Ruth “Margaret” (Rosen) Swagger. He was the oldest of eight children.

Garry graduated from Lincoln High School in Lake City, Minn. 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 1970s.

While at North Central Bible College, Garry met and fell in love with Joyce Cummings. They were married in 1966 and went into the ministry. To this union, three children were born, Scott, D’An and D’Nelle.

They served churches in Hopkins and Lake City, Minn., Nekoosa and Cornell, Wisc., Burton and Springview, Neb., and for the past 24 ½  years, they have served the Loomis Congregational Church and the Letcher Community Church.

Garry is survived by his wife, Joyce; three children, Scott Swagger (Lori Mandolfo) of Elmwood, Neb., D’An (Barry) Supernaw of Central City, Neb., and D’Nelle (Colin) Carnahan of Boulder, Colo.; five grandchildren; six siblings, Cheryl (Gene) Bowman of Rochester, Minn., Rev. Randall (Diane) Swagger of Canon City, Colo., Rev. Steve (Jackie) Swagger of Winona, Minn., Gene Swagger of Bellingham, Wash., Wendy (Mike) Huls of Rochester, Minn., Rev. David (Sherri) Swagger of Red Wing, Minn.; one brother-in-law, Rev. Howard (Margie) Cummings of Aurora, Colo.; one sister-in-law, Wanema Wieczorek of Mitchell; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Diane; paternal and maternal grandparents; parents-in-law, Rev. and Mrs. J.M. Cummings; and two brothers-in-law, Roger Koeshall and Glen Wieczorek.