Katie (Van Hove) Swart

Katie Swart, age 97, of Prinsburg, passed away Sunday morning, Feb. 14, at Bethesda Grand in Willmar.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18, at First Christian Reformed Church in Prinsburg.  Interment will be at Holland Township Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the First Christian Reformed Church and will also continue for one our prior to the service.  In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Central Minnesota Christian School or First CRC of Prinsburg KDJS Radio Fund.  Arrangements are with the Tri-County Funeral Home of Prinsburg.  www.tricountyfuneral.com

Katie Swart was born on October 5, 1923, on the family farm in Rheiderland Township, Chippewa County, Minnesota, to Jans and Tina (Groen) Van Hove. She grew up on the family farm and attended Country School through 8^th grade. As a young girl she was a member of Emden Christian Reformed Church, Renville, Minnesota. She met her future husband, Clarence, at Young Peoples Society. On April 3, 1946, they were married at her parents’ home in rural Bunde, Minnesota. They made their home on Clarence’s family farm until 1958 when they moved to Holland Township and continued farming. Her main chore on their dairy farm was taking care of the calves and chickens. She had a large garden that produced lots of food for canning and freezing. In 1980, they moved to Prinsburg, where she started from scratch with a garden and many commented on her beautiful flowers. It was a great joy for her to be outdoors in her garden. Better yet if she had a grandchild or two there with her. All of her grandchildren attended CMCS, where Clarence and Katie were faithful in being there for them and their activities. After moving to Prinsburg, she worked for a number of years at Nelsen’s Laundry in Willmar. She loved to cook and bake. If you had a birthday, your “card” was a can of home-baked cookies, no matter how many birthdays you’d had. Everyone loved Katie’s cookies! She was a member of First Christian Reformed Church of Prinsburg where she was involved in Mission Club. Many of her cookies made it to church, as well. Katie died Sunday morning, February 14, 2021, at Bethesda Grand in Willmar, Minnesota at the age of 97 years, 4 months, 9 days.

Katie is survived by her two sons: Dennis (Joann) Swart of Prinsburg and Larry (Karla) Swart of Prinsburg; two daughters: Janice (Warren) Damhof of Prinsburg and Joyce Schwitters of Clara City; her 11 grandchildren: Lisa (Terry) Mulder, Jamie (Wendy) Swart, Wade (Rachel) Damhof,  Jina (Joel) Ruschen, Christopher (Lisa) Damhof, Jason (Stacy) Schwitters, Angela (Jeffrey) Brouwer, Megan (Ben) Taatjes, Carrie Asake, Emily (Zach) Gerdes, and Allie (Josh) Lundeen; and 32 great-grandchildren; a brother: Donald (Reva) Van Hove of Hale, Michigan; sisters in-law: Ruth Van Hove of Willmar, and Marian (Darrel) Tinklenberg of Pipestone and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence, in 2009; son-in-law Eugene Schwitters; brothers Ben Van Hove, Ted Van Hove and an infant twin brother; two infant granddaughters, as well as several brothers and sisters-in-law.

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