Myrtis Swartz

Myrtis Ione Bowden Swartz, 93, of Waco and formerly of New Orleans, joined the saints rejoicing on February 26. A celebration of her life will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, March 5 in the sanctuary of Seventh & James Baptist Church, with the Reverend Dr. Raymond Bailey officiating. A reception and greeting of the family will follow at the church's Harper Hall.

Mrs. Swartz was born July 26, 1917 in Mount Pleasant, Texas, the firstborn of her loving parents Leonard and Nellie Bowden. The family moved to Dallas where she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. She later attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. On February 27, 1942, Myrtis married her "wonderful Willie," Wilbur Swartz, with whom she shared the triumphs and tragedies, the frustrations and frolic that make a 69-year marriage truly remarkable. If anyone wanted to know the secret of a marriage's longevity, she would say without hesitation, "A good sense of humor goes a long way!" Known to her teenage friends as "Mutt the Nut," Myrtis was a zany humorist and poet who kept her family and friends laughing and loving her company.

In 1951, Dr. and Mrs. Swartz made a new home and life at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where Mrs. Swartz was an active member of the Faculty Wives Club. A long-time Sunday School and Training Union teacher, she was proudest of sharing her life with her husband and creating a safe harbor for her daughters, Sandi and Susan. Their deep appreciation extends to the nightly rituals of Bible readings and prayer that became life-long disciplines; to her warm after-school greetings that made home the best place to be; to her faithful daily letter writing to college-distant daughters; to the way she could cook a meal that drew noses early to the table; to her generosity of spirit that gave love without thought of return.

Her concern for the elderly of the community and her love for justice caused Mrs. Swartz to become an ombudsman for the Louisiana State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program through which she served for a number of years. Whatever she set her hand to do received the full measure of her spirit as in her choosing to become family to Ming Chung Kuo (now James) and his wife Linda who came to America with their infant son, Peter, aboard the last plane out of Vietnam as the country collapsed at the close of the war. Finding their names on a list of refugees in the newspaper, Mrs. Swartz simply drove to their address and adopted them into her love. "Grandma" held that relationship to this day following a move by both families to Texas.

Myrtis loved her friends and pastors at Seventh & James Baptist Church where she and Wilbur have been members for nearly 30 years following retirement and a move to Elm Mott. She arrived with a desire to be the Grandmother who brought "great adventures" to her grandson, Evan. All who knew her will miss the great adventure of knowing her joy and enfolding love.

Mrs. Swartz was preceded in death by her parents, Leonard Roy Bowden and Nellie Wallace Bowden, and her brother Earl Bowden.

She is survived by her husband of 69 years, Wilbur W. Swartz of Waco; sister Lanell Koch of Garland; daughter Sandra Lynn (Sandi) Swartz, daughter and son-in-law Susan and John Cowley of Waco; son and daughter-by-choice James and Linda Kuo of Fort Worth; grandsons Evan Cowley of Austin, Jesus Garcia of Waco, and Peter, William and Nicholas Kuo; and great grandchildren Edgar, Mariana and Lexi Garcia; many beloved Bowden and Swartz nieces and nephews and treasured friends at Seventh & James Baptist Church and Lakeshore Estates.

Myrtis Swartz was a faithful donor to Talitha Koum Institute and memorial gifts may be sent there via
P. O. Box 2202, Waco, TX 76703.