Clifford S. Swager, age 92 of Amery, WI formerly from Balsam Lake, WI died on October 9th, 2020 at the Amery Hospital.

Clifford S. Swager Sr. was born July 8, 1928 in Clayton, Wisconsin, to his parents Harry and Myrtle (Lewis) Swager.

Clifford was the youngest of 8 Children, Harold Swager, Richard Swager, Lester Swager, Ida Stauner, Olive (Ally) Turner/Mavis, Bernard (Snoggie) Swager, and Orville Swager (Red).

Cliff was born in the Great Depression, times were unsettling, and the economy was on a downturn.  He grew up in the Joel area and worked on the farm with his parents and siblings. Clifford attended school in Clayton, Happy Hollow School and finished up at Range (double room) school.  Everyone worked to put food on the table in those hard times.

Clifford was united in marriage to Betty Ann Knutson on September 24, 1948 at the end of the Great Depression. They had four children, Gene Stanley Swager who passed away in Vietnam on April 15, 1970; Clifford Allen Swager (Barb) of Clayton, WI- Clifford Allen passed away 4/9/2016, Vicky Ann Dorner (Ronald) of Balsam Lake, WI and Diane Lee Ebert (Chuck) of Osceola, WI.  Cliff worked on the farm and after he married Betty (Knutson), those early years were challenging; Cliff hauled milk for the Fox Creek Creamery and farmed. He worked for the Turtle Lake Telephone Department and when he needed extra money for his family, he would work in the feed mill in Balsam Lake. He also was a bouncer at the Black Smith Shop to earn extra money.  Clifford joined the Carpenter Union when he was working for V. Johansson from Milltown, and then for Englebritson from Luck making church pews and he continued to farm.  In January of 1968 Cliff started working for Anderson Windows in Bayport, MN.  Clifford retired from farming around 1974 and retired from Anderson Windows in 1991 at the age of 63.  Clifford, or as some new him as Oatmeal or Scout, was a proud and hard worker who loved his family. His house was open to everyone for a good visit and there was always something to eat; he was a great neighbor and always willing to bring over a bag of tomatoes when his garden was ready. Cliff enjoyed hunting, fishing and gardening. He also enjoyed collecting antiques with his wife Betty.  He enjoyed collecting old coins and guns. In April of 2016 he moved into Evergreen in Amery, WI where he made many friends and enjoyed his coffee time.  Like most from that generation Clifford was a proud, hardworking, honest man that enjoyed feeding the deer and a good visit with his friends.  He will be missed by family and friends.

Time and date of his Celebration of Live will be available at a later date.

Last Update: Oct 14, 2020 4:23 pm CDT