Obituaries

On November 7, 2023, Lona Jureen (Swiggum) Connor, said farewell to this world after a long struggle with COPD. She always said she lived for 81 years by minding her own business. Now her challenge is how to add more bling to her angel wings.

Lona Jureen, an unusual name for an unusual woman, was born in the small town of Towerville, WI. She was the second of Morris and Ruth Swiggum’s seven children. As a teen, Lona lived with her sister, Judy, in Star Valley, helping with their children and attending high school. After high school, she moved to Madison, worked at an insurance company, and met Jim Connor. He started spoiling her the day they met, and once he started, he couldn’t quit. They married on 7-21-1963 and bought a house on Debra Lane. There, Lona created a home where, for 55 years, she and Jim had an open-door policy for family and friends. Lona always thought she wanted two babies, but God sent her three beautiful children: Shelly, Brett, and Dale. She cherished being their mom. When the kids were all in school, she offered to babysit a teacher’s newborn, and that was the beginning of a rewarding career of caring for other children in her home. After 40 years of being blessed by many children’s unconditional love, Lona retired along with Jim. They enjoyed traveling around the country on their motorcycle and loved the freedom and togetherness. The two mostly got along, except for the time Jim left Lona behind at a gas station in Belle Fourche, SD. Luckily, he only went a block before he realized she wasn’t on the back of the cycle! They also enjoyed their fire engine and taking the steam engine to parades. Although Lona never drove, she owned numerous fun cars. Lona will miss the monthly euchre games, and her City Sisters. The love she had for family and friends was always at the center of her life. At all times, she tried to be a trusted listener, and was a good wife, mother, friend, and neighbor.

During her life, Lona grieved the loss of her parents, Morris and Ruth; son, Dale Connor; and siblings Judy Halverson, Mick Swiggum, Steve Swiggum, and Danny Swiggum. Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law, Stephen and Marie Connor. Those she leaves behind include her beloved husband, Jim; daughter Shelly Gherke (Kevin); son Brett Connor; grandchildren Kyle Gherke, Kollin Gherke, Brittany Stolarik (Tyler); great grandchildren Beckett and Shiloh Stolarik; siblings Sanford Swiggum (Joanie), and Bonnie Olson (Mark); Brothers-in-law Ken Connor (Carol) and Dean Connor (Lynn); many nieces and nephews; and her BFF, Sandi.

The family would like to acknowledge all the wonderful care provided by Agrace in her final days.

A celebration of life will be held from 3-6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at RYAN FUNERAL HOME, 2418 N. Sherman Avenue. Lona's eulogy will be read at 6 p.m.

A note from the family:

Lona had wanted to write her own eulogy, but in the last month or so she just didn't have the energy. So, we had to piece it together from her notes. We felt that the obituary that she did write was the best place to start. From there we’ve added some of our own memories and thoughts.

She did ask her niece if she would be willing to read it for us and thus, we have Jill (that's me) here from Boston to read this for her. We thank you, Jill!

Now for the reading of Lona's Eulogy:

On November 7, 2023, Lona Jureen (Swiggum) Connor, said farewell to this world after a long struggle with COPD. She always said she lived for 81 years by minding her own business. Now her challenge is how to add more bling to her angel wings.

Hopefully you saw the tribute to Lona’s bling room, so you know this to be true. She had a wonderful fashion sense and loved to order her clothing from unusual places to be unique. In Jim’s words after looking at all of her pictures, “That woman was drop dead gorgeous and always dressed her best.” At some point in her life, Lona started collecting sparkly spiders. Pins, rings, bracelets, etc. She would always be wearing one and sometimes you had to really look to find it. Many pieces that she collected were gifts from friends, who would see a sparkly spider and just knew it had Lona's name on it.

Lona Jureen, an unusual name for an unusual woman, was born in a tiny dot on the map called Towerville, WI. She was the second of Morris and Ruth Swiggum’s seven children. Lona’s love of children began when, as a teenager, she moved to Star Valley to live with her sister Judy and her husband. Lona helped care for her nieces while attending high school.

After high school, Lona moved to Madison, worked at an insurance company, and met Jim Connor. He started spoiling her the day they met, and once he started, he couldn’t quit. They were married on July 21st, 1963, and began a journey together that would last for over 60 years. There are many great stories to be shared of their many adventures. Be sure to ask Jim to share some with you. He is going to need everyone to help fill the hole left in his life.

Lona had hoped to have two children but was blessed with three when her second pregnancy turned out to be twins. Back in those days, they didn't do ultrasounds and Dale was far enough up under Lona’s ribs to be missed by the doctor. Also, the boys’ heart beats were in sync, so they sounded like one. Lona knew there had to be more than one, because she could feel them both moving. She never said anything to anyone.... including Jim....only after the births did she say, “It was either an octopus in there or more than one child because of all the arms and legs I could feel.”

During the births, Jim was in a waiting room with two other fathers to be. A nurse came in and said, “Mr. Connor, your wife just gave birth to a lovely baby boy, and someone will come and get you in a few minutes.” And sure enough, a few minutes later another nurse came in and said, “Mr. Connor, your wife just gave birth to a lovely baby boy, and someone will come and get you in a few minutes.” Jim said, “Excuse me but that is OLD news.” And the nurse said, “No it is not OLD news, this is boy number two!”

Jim and Lona had many great adventures, but ultimately, she loved her time at home. After the boys were born, they purchased their home on Debra Ln., which was badly needed, as 5 people in a two-bedroom apartment was tight quarters! She loved making that house a home. She always had a vision for how to decorate and organize and she would go out and make it happen. Jim wants to give her credit for decorating every wall in the house, with maybe the exception of his computer room. Their house has been transformed many times over the years, always with the color palette trending toward black and white, and most important, always keeping the feeling of home.

While attending one of the boy’s parent teacher conferences, with a teacher who was pregnant and looking for childcare, Lona had the great idea to open her home to take care of other people’s children. Thus began her career in childcare where she earned the name Meme. The name stuck and even her grandchildren refer to her as Meme. She started with teachers’ babies, so she would still have the summers to spend extra time with her own children. Eventually, as her kids got older, she began watching children throughout the year. She also had the pleasure of taking care of her grandchildren and they were her pride and joy. Over the years, she watched over many “little people”, as she liked to refer to them, and she loved them all. She had a rule of not saying the word “no”, as it was such an easy word for them to learn and mimic.

One of the notes Lona made in preparing her eulogy was her wish in the afterlife to be given the job of welcoming babies and young children who were taken from their parents too soon. She would like to make their transition from Earth as stress free as possible for both the parents and the little people. We know for sure, she will do this job with love.

After 40 years of being blessed by many children’s unconditional love, Lona retired from childcare at the same time as Jim retired from MG&E. During their 18 plus years of retirement, they found that instead of getting sick of each other, they actually enjoyed the time they spent together. Jim says the last 18 years were the best as they were able to spend so much time together.

Jim and Lona also enjoyed their vintage fire engine and taking the 1916 Case steam engine to local parades. If you ever attended a parade that the steam engine was in, you would find Lona sitting in the trailer blowing bubbles. She always worried about kids running into the street for candy, so instead she gave them bubbles, and who doesn’t love bubbles?

Although Lona never got her driver’s license, she owned numerous fun cars. When Jim would take the classic cars to car shows, he always listed Lona as the owner. People who knew she didn’t drive always got a kick out of reading that. Not being able to drive didn’t keep her at home. She became quite adept at taking the bus throughout the city of Madison with her 3 children in tow.

Lona deeply cherished her friendships and often tried to do special things for or with her friends. The love she had for family and friends was always at the center of her life. At all times, she tried to be a trusted listener, a good wife, mother, friend, and neighbor. She knew she wasn’t a perfect mom or grandma, but she did love her children and grandchildren with all her heart and soul.

During her life, Lona grieved for the loss of her parents, Morris and Ruth; son, Dale; her siblings Judy, Mick, Steve, and Danny, and her Father and Mother-in-Law, Stephen and Marie. She especially grieved for the loss of her son, as no parent should bury their child. One of her comforts is the thought of being reunited with Dale in the afterlife. Those she leaves behind include her beloved husband, Jim; her daughter Shelly Gherke and son-in-law Kevin; her son Brett Connor; her grandchildren Kyle and Kollin Gherke, Brittany Stolarik and her husband Tyler; her great grandchildren Beckett and Shiloh Stolarik; her brother Sanford Swiggum and his wife Joanie, and her sister Bonnie Olson her husband Mark; her Brothers and Sisters-in-law Ken and Carol Connor and Dean and Lynn Connor; her many nieces and nephews; and her BFF, Sandi.

Lona’s family would like to acknowledge all the wonderful care provided by Agrace in her final days. They were a wonderful resource for the issues that would arise from time to time and were always available with a caring touch.

Now for some additional words about Lona:

As you looked at the pictures around the room, you may have noticed there are none from Lona’s younger years. This is because her family home was hit by a storm and all her keepsakes were destroyed. This tragedy led to Lona’s fear of storms, but she didn't pass that fear on to her children and she was always proud of that.

Lona liked to sew and was quite crafty, but she LOVED to read. She bought, borrowed, and traded so many books over the years. There is no doubt that she spent a small fortune on this passion of hers. In her final years she turned to borrowing and reading books from the library on her laptop. Her vision was not the best and she could make the font bigger. Listening to books didn't work for her, as they simply couldn't speak as fast as she could read.

We would like to introduce you to the little furry guys sitting by Lona’s urn. The bigger one is Edgie the Hedgehog, and when Lona got the little one she was named Edgie Jr., which eventually shortened up to Ed. And yes, Ed is a girl. Edgie always sat by Lona at the table right next to her laptop and kept her company. Ed, on the other hand, went everywhere with her. Ed had a way of nestling under Lona’s neck while she slept and she even managed to sneak her way into the hospital to be with Lona at the end. This was a relief to the family, as we are sure Ed gave Lona comfort in her final hours.

Lona’s bunny slippers are another example of how she liked to be silly. When her feet started swelling and she couldn't wear regular shoes, she switched to the bunny slippers. Jim constantly had to order more as they wore out. How can you not look at them and smile?

Lona left many notebooks filled with Lona-isms for Jim to read, and this will be how she continues to speak to him.

Thank you for being with us today and giving your love and support in our time of grief. Lona was a large presence in our lives, and she will be greatly missed.

Please join us at the Willows in Westport to continue our celebration of Lona’s life.

Lona chose a poem by Donna Ashworth to share with all of us, and it wouldn’t be Lona’s eulogy without her getting the last word in, so here goes:

When I go,
don’t learn to live without me,
just learn to live with my love,
in a different way.

And if you need to see me,
close your eyes,
or look in your shadow,
when the sun shines,

I’m there.

Sit with me in the quiet and you will know,
that I did not leave.

There is no leaving when a soul is blended with another.

When I go,
don’t learn to live without me,
just learn to look for me in the moments.

I will be there.