Clarijo Swiger

Clarijo “Jo” Swiger, 69, of St. Joseph, passed away, peacefully on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, at the Hanson Hospice Center. A celebration of life gathering will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, 2019, at Starks & Menchinger Chapel & Cremation Services, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI. Inurnment will take place at a later date in Wheelock Cemetery, Nashville, OH. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to BCF/TCP Brian Swiger Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is a scholarship in her son’s memory. Those wishing to send a condolence online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Clarijo was born on August 4, 1949, to Oscar and Opal Wheelock in Troy, OH. After graduating from Piqua High School in 1967, she attended Kent State University. There she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education. At Kent State, while attending a soroity function, she met her future husband Lee Townsend Swiger. They eloped to Mercer, Pennsylvania and were married on February 6, 1971. A year later their daughter Laura was born. They were blessed with a son Brian in 1976. The family moved to St. Joseph in 1978 due to her husband’s job with Whirlpool. She also began working for Whirlpool at the Consumer Assistance Center as a call taker, and retired in 2008 as a Customer Relations Supervisor. She was involved in the community and loved volunteering. Most notably as a lifetime member of Twin City Players since 1982, where her husband Lee was past President several times. Jo was also a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. A great fascination of hers was genealogy, and her own family's history. She liked cooking and entertaining for family and friends. In her younger years, she and her husband had fun line dancing, and taking trips to Knoxville and Nashville. During her retirement, Jo delighted in watching football, especially The Ohio State Buckeyes, golf tournaments, the Hallmark Channel, ghost stories, and QVC shopping. She was always eager to attend rummage and garage sales. Most of all, Jo cherished her family. She is survived by her daughter, Laura and son-in-law, Daniel Gilligan, Jr; brother, Jack and Nancy Wyatt; sister-in-law, Rita Wheelock; mother-in-law Martha Swiger; and special friends Bill and Barb Klein. She was preceded in death by her parents, Oscar and Opal Wheelock; brother, William Wheelock; husband, Lee Swiger; and son, Brian Swiger. Special thanks to the caring staff at the Hanson Hospice Center for making her last days meaningful and comfortable. Though Jo faced many challenges in her life, she is now at peace and with those she loves.