Jo Warren Swallow

Jo Swallow passed into her eternal rest of joy early Wednesday, November 25, 2015, at the age of 94, after a short illness. A visitation with her sons will take place Sunday, November 29, 2015, at Ellis Funeral Home from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. A memorial service will take place at a later date. Interment will be in the columbarium of Grace Presbyterian Church.

Jo was born January 20, 1921, in St. Anthony, Idaho, the fourth child of William Roy Patton and Clara Olney Philips. During her childhood, the family moved to San Francisco, where her mother died when she was ten. After that she was raised in Oakland by her sister Marjorie, ten years her senior.

Jo enrolled at UC-Berkley and met Jim Warren her second year. In the spring of 1941, he graduated as a petroleum engineer. After Pearl Harbor, they went ahead with their plans to marry in January 1942, two weeks before Jo’s 21st birthday, in Marjorie’s home.

The Navy sent them to New Orleans and Port Arthur and then Tulsa, where Bill was born in 1944. After the War they moved to Villa Park, Orange County, California, and lived with Jim’s parents for two years until they could get into a small two-bedroom house in Montrose, on the north edge of Los Angeles. Kathy was born in 1946, and Jim in 1949. Her father died in 1948.

In 1952 the family moved to the booming oil fields of West Texas. They settled in Midland on Ridglea Drive and joined St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. Jo was a charter member of the group that started the Mission that still bears the church’s name. Aside from being a homemaker, she worked part-time at The Book Stall and in the physical therapy department at Midland Memorial Hospital. Jo and Jim divorced in 1970.

For the next fifteen years Jo worked as office manager for orthodontist Glenn Rogers. She married Ned Swallow in 1985, and they had a full life together with travel and church and volunteer activities, including Hospice of Midland in its formative years. He died in 2003, and three years later she moved to Manor Park.

Jo was active in the PEO Sisterhood, as was her mother. Her performing talent was exercised at Midland Community Theater and with Midland Festival Ballet’s “Nutcracker” as Grandmother. She was a member of Grace Presbyterian Church, serving as a Deacon and an Elder, and she was an alto in the choir until she was nearly 90.

Jo was a wonderful mother and friend, cheerful and spiritually grounded like her mother, but surprised when others spoke of her as patient and sweet. She was joyful when Bill and Kathy moved back to Midland in the 90’s, and shocked by Kathy’s death in 2001. She survived all her siblings, who also lived long lives; Phil had settled in Palo Alto and Ruth in Kansas. Marjorie lived in Midland for a short time in the 80’s and spent her final years with her son in Reno.

Jo Swallow is survived by her sons Bill Warren (Judy) of Midland and Jim Warren (Kathy) of Parker, Colorado; grandchildren Shannon Cochran (Casey) of McKinney and Kelly Blankenship (Doug) of Plano; Jason Warren of Reno and Matt Warren of Las Vegas, Nevada; Eric Vaughan of Plano and Kevin Vaughan (Laura) of Montgomery Village, Maryland; great-grandchildren Blake Blankenship, Caleb Vaughan, and Emma Vaughan; several nieces and nephews; step-children Jack Swallow (Julia) of Midland and their sons Parke and Nathan; Chuck Swallow of Kerrville and his daughters Meredith and MaryClaire; Jan Pickett of Taos and her son Ty.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff of the Mabee Center at Manor Park and Hospice of Midland for their compassionate care over the last several weeks.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Grace Presbyterian Church, 2801 N. Garfield, Midland TX 79705; St. Andrews Mission, 1708 North Fort Worth Street, Midland, TX 79701; Hospice Midland, 911 W Texas Ave, Midland, TX 79701 or Manor Park, www.manorparkinc.org.