Deanna J. Swanson

Deanna Joan Swanson, age 87, passed away on December 1st, 2025 in Holmen, Wisconsin surrounded in love. She is the co-star of one of the greatest love stories to ever happen with our father John Swanson. Married on May 25, 1957 our dad had proposed to her asking if she wanted a ring for the wedding, or for him to get a suit because that is all they could afford. She picked the suit but ended up with both.

They had real life Notebook love, even down to when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and we would read to her out of the book she wrote in the event she lost her memory. Their love was always a priority. He called her “Red” and made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Early in their marriage they would budget .50 cents every Friday night so they could get a babysitter and go play cards with friends. They had matching roller skating outfits and loved to go to barn dances.

Their other priority was their relationship with their heavenly creator, Jehovah. As long time Jehovah’s Witnesses, together they spent years teaching people the bible, attending conventions and making lifelong friends with those from all over the world. Many years of her life were spent making memories at the Galesville Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, made up of a uniquely special group of friends. She loved playing the piano and played for the congregation from age 15 until she was 55 but the music never stopped at home.

For her entire life, she was a student of everything from the bible, to mental health, to aging. The book she treasured the most, was her beloved bible. Every page shows the depth of her love and deep study in her search to find bible truth. Her love of reading took her on many journeys, and she would put tally marks on the inside of Tuesday’s with Morrie, every time she read it again. She spent a lot of time behind the typewriter writing letters to people she hadn’t seen in years. She was a good friend and loved all her friends so much that she would write her letters to them like stories. Anyone who received a card from our mother knows that she would use every inch of space she could.

As a young girl born and raised in Port Edwards, WI, she stood out for her red hair. She spent her childhood years running around in circles with her four brothers at a time where money was tight and yet it was the definition of “The good old days.” She was a basketball queen, on the school council, a model, won awards for her handwriting and thought she was going to grow up to be a lawyer. Like most of us, dreams can be so different from what we imagine as kids. As her life changed, she found her core beliefs and love. It was through that where she found her purpose of being a teacher of the bible.

We could not have asked for a better mother. She loved us fiercely and devoted her life to raising and loving us. She laughed with us and cried with us. She worried about us and lost sleep over us. She taught us how to love our man, how to be a woman, a friend and fight for what we believe in. She tried her best. And yes, mom, in the words of the song you played at your own mother’s funeral…” Mother, I miss you.” We always will.

She is preceded in death by her father and mother Richard and Esther Keyzer along with her brothers Gary and Gerald Keyzer.

In addition to her beloved husband John "Jack" Swanson, Deanna is also survived by her four daughters Cari (Duane) Mandt, Lori (Mike) Osley/O’Keefe, Vali (Steve) Sicurella and Jodi (Brooks) Swanson. She is survived by her seven grandchildren Derek, Melissa, Shane, Lucas, Joseph, Jessica and Lincoln along with many great grandchildren. Her two brothers Larry (Therese) Keyzer, and Rodney Keyzer.

She leaves behind a large community of friends at the Bluffview Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, with hundreds from other congregations in many states that she maintained friendships with.

A visitation will be held from 12-1 pm at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1900 Bainbridge St, La Crosse, WI 54603 on Saturday, December 13, 2025. The funeral will follow at 1 pm at the Kingdom Hall. Our dear friend, Gary Thompson will be conducting the memorial services. A light reception will follow from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm at the Dash Center, 515 Quincy St, Onalaska, WI 54650. To view Deanna's memorial service via Zoom, please use the following link and codes: Deanna's Memorial Service Meeting ID: 863 8852 2698 Passcode: 2025

In honor of our mother, we welcome you to wear something pink or red in her memory.

Pinky…they called her. For her bright red hair. A color as strong and beautiful as her. She got the name in high school where the boys wrote on the bathroom wall, “Pinky doesn’t kiss.” That’s because she was saving all her kisses for our dad…her Notebook love.