Sarah Swan

If you were her mature grandchild, you probably knew her as "Nana;" if you were her immature grandchild, you probably knew her as the Queen of Fluff (because of her saggy arms); if you played bridge or rummy or hand-and-foot with her, you probably knew her as the Dirty Pirate Hooker - Sarah Jane Duncan Swan was a competitive one when it came to card games. Throughout the years, Jane went by many other names: teacher, mother, Jesus-follower, friend. Jane welcomed eternal life Tuesday, June 7, 2016. She was ready to see her husband, Hugh Swan, again, after ten years of bridge tournaments and golf rounds without him; the two of them are probably teeing up right now on an expanse of green. While on earth, Jane was always willing to make brownies for her grandchildren, and she didn't fuss if one of them cut out the center square (which usually happened to be the gooiest.) Jane always used her hands when she talked, and she wore brightly colored jackets when attending the Colonies Church of Christ in Amarillo. She cherished the church and the people in it. Jane first greeted life in Dickson, Tennessee in 1927. She grew up there - the middle class, Christian daughter of a traveling salesman, Finley and his wife, Gena. Jane met her own tall glass of water, a 6'5" war veteran named Hugh, while studying business and psychology at Lipscomb University in Nashville. She gained Hugh's last name in 1948, and then her degree in 1949. During the next 37 years, in which Hugh worked for Tenneco Oil Company and Jane taught or administered for various school districts, the two lived in five states and created five children, of whom Jane was quite proud (and let everyone around her know it.) After teaching Kindergarten for one year in Shreveport, Louisiana, Jane moved with her family to Bakersfield, California, where she enjoyed Dewar's pulled taffy and served the Beardsley School District for 13 years as a teacher administrator. Hugh and Jane then relocated to Houston, Texas, and, after Hugh completed his career, the two moved to their final home in Amarillo, Texas in 2001. Meanwhile, Hugh and Jane's children scattered across some of the states they grew up in - plus one more: Linda (Roy) Atkinson to Mt. Juliet, Tennessee; Jan (Charles) Allison to Amarillo, Texas (she and her family lived down the street from Hugh and Jane); Susan (John) Beckman to Rancho Palos Verdes, California; Steve (Nita) Swan to Bakersfield, California; and Sandra (Doug) Stoner to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jane deeply adored her nine grandchildren, especially when they played card games with her (and lost); Elizabeth (Russ) Phillips in Bakersfield, California; Heather (Brent) Sandberg and Jenny Beckman in Redondo Beach, California; Abbey Allison in Waco, Texas, and Alexis Allison in Los Angeles, California; Mitch Stoner in Anchorage, Alaska, Shelby Stoner in New York, New York, and Kyle Stoner in Tulsa, Oklahoma. To top it off, Jane delighted in her two great-grandchildren; Amie and Zach Phillips in Bakersfield, California. Whether you knew Jane as Nana, mom, teacher, friend, fellow Jesus-follower, or friendly acquaintance, we invite you to remember her many roles and names. A formal celebration of her life will be held in Nashville at a later date, and informally every day until then. In the meantime, Jane asks that you leave the flowers in the soil, rather than sending them.

Service Schedule

Private Services at a later date

Memorial Contributions

Eastern European Mission P. O. Box 670928 Dallas, TX 75367 Disaster Relief Effort P. O. Box 111180 410 Allied Drive Nashville, TN 37222