Marie E. Swenka, 90 of North Liberty died Friday, May 9, 2008 at Lantern Park Nursing Home.  Services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at First Presbyterian Church, near Ely.  Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. in Oakland Cemetery, Iowa City.  Visitation will be from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Brosh Chapel in Solon, and for an hour prior to services Tuesday at the church.

Marie was born March 8, 1918 in rural Solon, the daughter of Frank and Mary (Yuza) Slaby.  She married George J. Swenka on January 8, 1942 at the First Presbyterian Church, near Ely by the Reverend Ludvik Burian.  George and Marie established their home on the family farm west of North Liberty in 1942 where she and her husband George farmed for 55 years.  She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.  Her family was the joy of her life.  Marie enjoyed participating in the ladies neighborhood birthday club for many years.  During her lifetime she was a member of the First Presbyterian Church near Ely, and the Hus Memorial Presbyterian Church in Cedar Rapids.

Marie is survived by her husband George; two daughters Jean (Kenneth) Kintzel of La Crosse, Wisconsin and Beverly (Dick) Snakenberg of Tiffin; son George Vernon (Mary Kay) Swenka of Tiffin; sister-in-law Esther Viksten of Iowa City; eight grandchildren: Kimberly (Manny) Lindo of Harvard, Mass, Kelly (Eric) Manahan of Dalton, Georgia, Kristen (Joe) Kopczynski of Naperville, Illinois, George Stephen (Amanda) Swenka of Tiffin, Suzy (Thad) Barker of North Liberty, Gina (Nathan) Holler of Denver, Colorado, Mark (Erica) Zimmerman of Amana, and Shaun Zimmerman of Iowa City; four greatgrandsons: George Jacob and Will Swenka of Tiffin, Brandon Barker of North Liberty, and Kyle Kopczynski of Naperville, Illinois; eight greatgranddaughters: Kaylie Barker, Haidyn Barker and Kira Barker of North Liberty, Elsie Kopczynski of Naperville, Illinois, Paige and Lindsay Manahan of Dalton, Georgia, Olivia Lindo of Harvard, Mass., and Lydia Holler of Denver, Colorado.

She was preceded in death by her parents Frank and Mary Slaby; sisters: Bessie Hoffman, Tillie Meade, and Helen Gerhold; and a brother Theodore Slaby.

Memorials may be directed to the First Presbyterian Church, near Ely and/or the Hus Memorial Presbyterian Church.