K. Eudora Swaney Carpenter

East Palestine – K. Eudora Swaney Carpenter, 93, of 937 East Park Ave., Columbiana, formerly of East Palestine, died at 12:05 a.m. Monday, September 22, 2014 at the Salem Regional Medical Center.

Eudora was born November 26, 1920 in East Palestine, the daughter of the late John Hutchison and Kathryn Corbett Morrison Conley. She was a 1938 graduate of East Palestine High School and a 1942 graduate of Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, PA with a B.S. degree in Secretarial Studies.

She served as Assistant to the Administrator of the War Defense Training Program at Carnegie Tech from 1942-1944. She then served as bookkeeper at the former McCune Co. Farm Equipment in New Waterford and Youngstown and later was secretary for the late R. E. Charlton, Public Accountant in East Palestine. In 1974 she became a licensed funeral director and assisted her first husband, Glenn Swaney in the operation of the Van Dyke-Swaney Funeral Home, East Palestine until his death. She then owned and operated the funeral home until October 1, 1986, when John F. Kummer and Jon W. Rettig, Sr. became associated with the funeral home. On January 1, 1998, Family Care Services, Inc. was established to own and operate the Van Dyke-Swaney Funeral Home, the Warrick-Kummer Funeral Home, Columbiana, and the Woods-Rettig Funeral Home, Leetonia and Eudora served as the first President of Family Care Services until December 1, 2012. Other than six years in Pittsburgh, she had resided in East Palestine most of her life until moving to Whispering Pines Village five years ago.

She was a member of the First United Presbyterian Church where she had served as Ordained Elder, chairman of the Corporation, and was active in the Women’s Association. She was a member of East Palestine Chapter #381 Order of the Eastern Star, the Ohio Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association. She had also been a member of the former Twentieth Century Literary Club, the East Palestine Town & Country Garden Club and had served as chairman of the 1938 class reunion for several years.

Her first husband, Glenn M. Swaney, whom she married June 14, 1947 died December 3, 1979 and her second husband, Jack R. Carpenter, O.D., whom she married May 9, 1987 died June 27, 2011. She was also preceded in death by a son in law, Michael Olive.

She is survived by three daughters, Kathryn (Gregory) Doby of Princeton Junction, NJ, Martha A. Swaney of San Diego, CA, and Elizabeth Olive of Niles; two stepdaughters, Crystal Dover of Asheville, NC and Amy (Grant) Laing of Oakton, VA; three grandchildren, Eric Doby, Meredith Doby and Kathleen E. Olive; four step grandchildren, Julie (Chris) Shinn, Kevin (Kim) Dover, Kate Laing and Ryan Laing.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at the Van Dyke-Swaney-Rettig Funeral Home, East Palestine with Pastor Kari Lankford officiating. Burial will follow in Glenview Cemetery, East Palestine. Friends may call from 10:00 a.m. until noon on Wednesday at the funeral home. East Palestine Chapter will conduct Eastern Star Services at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

Material tributes may be made to East Palestine Alumni & Friends Scholarship Association, 116 Claybrook Drive, East Palestine, OH 44413.