Mary L. Swender

Mary L. Swender, 87, of Parsons, passed away at 12:37 p.m., Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at her home.

Mary Lovesta Parish was born on November 23, 1933, to Grover and Iva Bell (Scribner) Parish in Batesville, Arkansas. As a young girl, she grew up and attended school in Batesville.

On April 27, 1964, she and C. Kennedy "Ken" Swender were united in marriage in Jefferson City, Missouri. The couple lived in several small towns where Ken taught school. In 1968, the family moved to Altamont. For a time, Mary owned and operated Mary's This and That in Altamont and also had a catering business. The couple moved to Parsons in 1998, where they had lived since.

She was an active member of the Parsons Nazarene Church, where she helped in the church's food bank. For many years, Mary was a member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority and also assisted with American Red Cross functions. Mary's greatest love was for her husband and children. One of her favorite activities with Ken was making stained glass.

Survivors include:

Five daughters – Kelly Bedore and her husband, Todd, of Parsons, Kansas

Kimberly Swender of Hutchinson, Kansas

Cindy Bogner and her husband, Mike, of Parsons, Kansas

Teresa Higgins of Neodesha, Kansas

Linda Yau and her husband, Frank, of Kansas City, Kansas

One son – Jerry Miers of Kansas City, Kansas

Fifteen grandchildren

Twenty-five great-grandchildren

Two great-great grandsons

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Ken, who passed away on November 5, 2020; two brothers and four sisters.

The funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 15, 2020, officiated by her grandson, Rev. Tyler Allen at the Parsons Nazarene Church. Burial will take place at Oakwood Cemetery in Parsons. The family will receive friends 6 – 8:00 p.m., Monday, at the Parsons Nazarene Church. Friends may call at the funeral home to sign the register from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday. For those who cannot attend, the funeral service can be viewed live on the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home Facebook page. For all events, social distancing guidelines will be followed, including the requirement of face masks.

Memorials are suggested to Proud Animal Lovers Shelter (PALS). These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.