September 7 1928 March 31 2020 (age 91)
Obituary Ellsworth W. “Swartzie” Swartzlander, 91, of Chicora, Donegal Township, went to be with the Lord, Tuesday morning, March 31, 2020, after passing away of natural causes at his home. Ellsworth was born in Chicora on September 7, 1928. He was the son of the late Ralph and Velma McCollough Swartzlander. Ellsworth was a 1948 graduate of Fairview Township Karns City High School and was a U.S. Army veteran having served in Korea. He was a proud member of the American Legion Post in Chicora and the former VFW Post. Mr. Swartzlander was a lifelong truck driver. He was an owner / operator and had contracted with numerous companies throughout his career including Ralph Dittman Trucking in Bruin. He retired from Modern Transportation in Sewickley. In his earlier years, Ellsworth was a member of the former St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chicora and was a long time active member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Ellsworth’s proudest accomplishment was the recovery and restoration of the bells from the three Chicora area Lutheran churches and the subsequent construction of the bell tower at Holy Trinity. Swartzie was a well known and accomplished mechanic and enjoyed building and working on pulling trucks with Keith Hinchberger at Rt. 68 Auto Repair. Throughout the years many of Swartzie’s friends and family relied on him for sound and knowledgeable advice concerning all things mechanical. He was a fan of Fords and in retirement, he restored several classic pickup trucks. Ellsworth leaves behind to cherish his memory, his beloved wife of 66 years, Jane Northime Swartzlander, whom he married at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chicora on June 22, 1953. Also surviving is a son, Larry Swartzlander and his wife, Petra, of College Park, MD; a daughter, Amy Rudzki and her husband, Jack, of Butler; two grandsons, John Ryan Rudzki of Pittsburgh and Matthew J. Rudzki of Cherry Hill, NJ; two sisters, Mary Leona Holben, of Reynoldsville, and Hazel Conrad of Chicora, as well as a number of brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. A private funeral service will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicora with the Rev. Joseph Boomhower, church pastor, officiating. Interment will be in Hemphill Cemetery. Military honors will be accorded by the American Legion Post in Chicora. Memorial contributions in Mr. Swartzlander’s name may be made to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2217 Chicora Rd., Chicora, PA 16025. Arrangements are under the direction of Hile Funeral Home of Chicora. For more information, or to send a condolence, please visit www.hilefh.com. To plant a tree in memory of Ellsworth W. Swartzlander, please visit our tribute store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Ellsworth W Swartzlander September 7 1928 March 31 2020 (age 91).
Death notice for the town of: Emlenton, state: Pennsylvania