Juanita Mae Swarts

May 4, 1925 - May 16, 2019

Juanita (Nita) Mae Swarts May 4, 1925- May 16, 2019 Long time Fullerton resident Juanita Swarts passed away on May 16, 2019 in Fullerton, California. She was 94. She was born in Ethan, South Dakota on May 4, 1925. She was a child of the Depression, raised in difficult times on the plains of South Dakota. She used to sit on the front porch sewing doll clothes out of burlap feed sacks and dishtowels for her sisters and the girls in the neighborhood, thereby beginning her love of sewing. She moved with her family to Portland, Oregon at a young age where she attended junior high and high school. After high school, with WWII going on, she worked as a supervisor welding on Navy ships going to war. She was responsible for putting the last weld on the ship as it would be launched to sea, demanding accuracy and agility to get out of the belly of the ship quickly. On Labor Day 1949, she met Carl Swarts at a dance and they married four months later on New Year’s Day 1950. Shortly after they married, they decided to move to sunny California to get away from the rainy weather of Oregon. They eventually made a home for their family in Fullerton where she resided for 64 years. While raising her three children, she kept busy being a troop leader for scout groups, sewing bridal gowns and clothing, upholstery, running her husband’s business, reading, camping with family and doing artwork. After her children were grown, she and Carl enjoyed doing some world traveling. When her travels were over, she immersed herself in doing her most favorite thing-art. She was creative in many different mediums from weaving baskets, ceramics, batik, furniture design, home decorating, painting with water colors, pen and ink drawing and many more. She also taught art at Fullerton College. She eventually found quilting to be her niche. In 1980 she joined Orange County Quilters Guild and the Gourmet Quilters, among other guilds, and held many positions throughout the years. She became quite accomplished in her hand quilting creating contemporary designs and using applique technique, leading her to be sought as a lecturer and teaching many quilting workshops. She won numerous awards for her quilts, including two Golden Bear awards from the State of California. She never quit with her creative mind. She often said “I have so many ideas; I’m going to live to be 100 years old”. She left many, many quilts and projects unfinished, along with many colorful stories and memories. She fought hard to the very end. She had a zest for life and wasn’t ready to leave it. She said she had too many things to do before she left. She is preceded in death by Carl her husband of 47 years. She is survived by her three children- Pat (Nils) Clawson, Shirlee Garcia, and Craig (Pam) Swarts; her sister LaDonna (John) Duir; six grandchildren- Wendy Brown, Christi Greenwood, Carli Torres, Kari Camp, Ashley Swarts, and Casey Swarts; and five great grandchildren along with many nieces, nephews, stepdaughters, and step-grandchildren. Friends and family are invited to a celebration of life at Pines Lawn located at Memory Garden Memorial Park, 455 W. Central Avenue, Brea on Friday, May 31, at 2:00 P.M. followed by refreshments inside the mortuary’s Heritage Room and Patio.