s/o Aubrey Harbert and Ufa Blanche (Shreves) Swiger
h/o Annette Flournoy
Ralph Swiger was born in the mountains of West Virginia (Clarksburg / Lumberport area). He came from a family of farmers with English and German decent. Ralph's father, Aubrey, was a farmer and also a butcher in the A&P grocery store. He lived to be 3 days shy of 100 years. Audrey, his younger sister by six years, was a talented singer. Ufa was a caring mother who passed away while Ralph was serving in the army during WWII (stationed in the Pacific theatre). Ralph grew up in beautiful country surrounded by 2 sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and wonderful friends and a supportive community.
Ralph loved music and playing the trombone in particular. He was in the high school band and local swing bands (Weston, WV). After graduation he ventured to NYC to study trombone at the Julliard School of Music. While there Ralph heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor and left to join the Army.
[Ralph was a member of the 806th Tank Destroyer Battalion at Camp Shelby. For an interesting history of this unit, especially at the end of World War II, go read the 806th TD Bn
Stationed in Mississippi (Camp Shelby), Ralph met Annette Flournoy at a dance to entertain American soldiers. Annette said she was attracted to his sense of humor. She joked that Ralph was attracted to her car! They were married and stayed briefly in Mississippi until Ralph was sent overseas to be in on the invasion of Japan. While overseas Annette had their first child (David) in West Virginia. After the war Ralph used the GI Bill to get his masters degree in psychology at WVU in Morgantown.
Ralph also loved photography and took many pictures of his family, which grew to include 2 more children – Marjory and Charles, the youngest. He also loved to travel and took many landscape and nature pictures.
Ralph and Annette maintained a home in Beckley WV for 40 years before coming to reside at Dogwood Terrace (Richmond, VA). Ralph worked as a psychologist for a mental health clinic in Raleigh County (WV) until he retired at age 75.
Ralph also loved to hunt, and had a few friends with which he would trek into the hills to chase down an occasional squirrel or groundhog. Mostly he just loved to wander the beautiful countryside, since his family did not appreciate any rodents in the freezer.
Ralph slipped into the age of high-tech computers and iPads with relative ease. He was able to send and receive photos and messages from his 3 grown kids and four granddaughters. He also kept in contact with family members in Alabama, North Carolina, and California. In the summer of 2012 Ralph purchased his last camera that was also a fun challenge in the age of digital technology.
Hailey Elizabeth Stepien was born on November 19, 2012, the Monday before Thanksgiving Day, making Ralph and Annette great grandparents for the first time. Of course, they received countless iPad pictures from Chesapeake, VA where she was born. Ralph was hospitalized with a stroke the following weekend at Saint Mary's Hospital, and passed away on December 10, 2012. He is survived by his spouse of 68 years, Annette Flournoy Swiger. She continues to reside at Dogwood Terrace with good friends, good food, and her daughter and son in law who live nearby.
h/o Annette Flournoy
Ralph Swiger was born in the mountains of West Virginia (Clarksburg / Lumberport area). He came from a family of farmers with English and German decent. Ralph's father, Aubrey, was a farmer and also a butcher in the A&P grocery store. He lived to be 3 days shy of 100 years. Audrey, his younger sister by six years, was a talented singer. Ufa was a caring mother who passed away while Ralph was serving in the army during WWII (stationed in the Pacific theatre). Ralph grew up in beautiful country surrounded by 2 sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and wonderful friends and a supportive community.
Ralph loved music and playing the trombone in particular. He was in the high school band and local swing bands (Weston, WV). After graduation he ventured to NYC to study trombone at the Julliard School of Music. While there Ralph heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor and left to join the Army.
[Ralph was a member of the 806th Tank Destroyer Battalion at Camp Shelby. For an interesting history of this unit, especially at the end of World War II, go read the 806th TD Bn
Stationed in Mississippi (Camp Shelby), Ralph met Annette Flournoy at a dance to entertain American soldiers. Annette said she was attracted to his sense of humor. She joked that Ralph was attracted to her car! They were married and stayed briefly in Mississippi until Ralph was sent overseas to be in on the invasion of Japan. While overseas Annette had their first child (David) in West Virginia. After the war Ralph used the GI Bill to get his masters degree in psychology at WVU in Morgantown.
Ralph also loved photography and took many pictures of his family, which grew to include 2 more children – Marjory and Charles, the youngest. He also loved to travel and took many landscape and nature pictures.
Ralph and Annette maintained a home in Beckley WV for 40 years before coming to reside at Dogwood Terrace (Richmond, VA). Ralph worked as a psychologist for a mental health clinic in Raleigh County (WV) until he retired at age 75.
Ralph also loved to hunt, and had a few friends with which he would trek into the hills to chase down an occasional squirrel or groundhog. Mostly he just loved to wander the beautiful countryside, since his family did not appreciate any rodents in the freezer.
Ralph slipped into the age of high-tech computers and iPads with relative ease. He was able to send and receive photos and messages from his 3 grown kids and four granddaughters. He also kept in contact with family members in Alabama, North Carolina, and California. In the summer of 2012 Ralph purchased his last camera that was also a fun challenge in the age of digital technology.
Hailey Elizabeth Stepien was born on November 19, 2012, the Monday before Thanksgiving Day, making Ralph and Annette great grandparents for the first time. Of course, they received countless iPad pictures from Chesapeake, VA where she was born. Ralph was hospitalized with a stroke the following weekend at Saint Mary's Hospital, and passed away on December 10, 2012. He is survived by his spouse of 68 years, Annette Flournoy Swiger. She continues to reside at Dogwood Terrace with good friends, good food, and her daughter and son in law who live nearby.
s/o Aubrey Harbert and Ufa Blanche (Shreves) Swiger
h/o Annette Flournoy
Ralph Swiger was born in the mountains of West Virginia (Clarksburg / Lumberport area). He came from a family of farmers with English and German decent. Ralph's father, Aubrey, was a farmer and also a butcher in the A&P grocery store. He lived to be 3 days shy of 100 years. Audrey, his younger sister by six years, was a talented singer. Ufa was a caring mother who passed away while Ralph was serving in the army during WWII (stationed in the Pacific theatre). Ralph grew up in beautiful country surrounded by 2 sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and wonderful friends and a supportive community.
Ralph loved music and playing the trombone in particular. He was in the high school band and local swing bands (Weston, WV). After graduation he ventured to NYC to study trombone at the Julliard School of Music. While there Ralph heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor and left to join the Army.
[Ralph was a member of the 806th Tank Destroyer Battalion at Camp Shelby. For an interesting history of this unit, especially at the end of World War II, go read the 806th TD Bn
Stationed in Mississippi (Camp Shelby), Ralph met Annette Flournoy at a dance to entertain American soldiers. Annette said she was attracted to his sense of humor. She joked that Ralph was attracted to her car! They were married and stayed briefly in Mississippi until Ralph was sent overseas to be in on the invasion of Japan. While overseas Annette had their first child (David) in West Virginia. After the war Ralph used the GI Bill to get his masters degree in psychology at WVU in Morgantown.
Ralph also loved photography and took many pictures of his family, which grew to include 2 more children – Marjory and Charles, the youngest. He also loved to travel and took many landscape and nature pictures.
Ralph and Annette maintained a home in Beckley WV for 40 years before coming to reside at Dogwood Terrace (Richmond, VA). Ralph worked as a psychologist for a mental health clinic in Raleigh County (WV) until he retired at age 75.
Ralph also loved to hunt, and had a few friends with which he would trek into the hills to chase down an occasional squirrel or groundhog. Mostly he just loved to wander the beautiful countryside, since his family did not appreciate any rodents in the freezer.
Ralph slipped into the age of high-tech computers and iPads with relative ease. He was able to send and receive photos and messages from his 3 grown kids and four granddaughters. He also kept in contact with family members in Alabama, North Carolina, and California. In the summer of 2012 Ralph purchased his last camera that was also a fun challenge in the age of digital technology.
Hailey Elizabeth Stepien was born on November 19, 2012, the Monday before Thanksgiving Day, making Ralph and Annette great grandparents for the first time. Of course, they received countless iPad pictures from Chesapeake, VA where she was born. Ralph was hospitalized with a stroke the following weekend at Saint Mary's Hospital, and passed away on December 10, 2012. He is survived by his spouse of 68 years, Annette Flournoy Swiger. She continues to reside at Dogwood Terrace with good friends, good food, and her daughter and son in law who live nearby.
h/o Annette Flournoy
Ralph Swiger was born in the mountains of West Virginia (Clarksburg / Lumberport area). He came from a family of farmers with English and German decent. Ralph's father, Aubrey, was a farmer and also a butcher in the A&P grocery store. He lived to be 3 days shy of 100 years. Audrey, his younger sister by six years, was a talented singer. Ufa was a caring mother who passed away while Ralph was serving in the army during WWII (stationed in the Pacific theatre). Ralph grew up in beautiful country surrounded by 2 sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and wonderful friends and a supportive community.
Ralph loved music and playing the trombone in particular. He was in the high school band and local swing bands (Weston, WV). After graduation he ventured to NYC to study trombone at the Julliard School of Music. While there Ralph heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor and left to join the Army.
[Ralph was a member of the 806th Tank Destroyer Battalion at Camp Shelby. For an interesting history of this unit, especially at the end of World War II, go read the 806th TD Bn
Stationed in Mississippi (Camp Shelby), Ralph met Annette Flournoy at a dance to entertain American soldiers. Annette said she was attracted to his sense of humor. She joked that Ralph was attracted to her car! They were married and stayed briefly in Mississippi until Ralph was sent overseas to be in on the invasion of Japan. While overseas Annette had their first child (David) in West Virginia. After the war Ralph used the GI Bill to get his masters degree in psychology at WVU in Morgantown.
Ralph also loved photography and took many pictures of his family, which grew to include 2 more children – Marjory and Charles, the youngest. He also loved to travel and took many landscape and nature pictures.
Ralph and Annette maintained a home in Beckley WV for 40 years before coming to reside at Dogwood Terrace (Richmond, VA). Ralph worked as a psychologist for a mental health clinic in Raleigh County (WV) until he retired at age 75.
Ralph also loved to hunt, and had a few friends with which he would trek into the hills to chase down an occasional squirrel or groundhog. Mostly he just loved to wander the beautiful countryside, since his family did not appreciate any rodents in the freezer.
Ralph slipped into the age of high-tech computers and iPads with relative ease. He was able to send and receive photos and messages from his 3 grown kids and four granddaughters. He also kept in contact with family members in Alabama, North Carolina, and California. In the summer of 2012 Ralph purchased his last camera that was also a fun challenge in the age of digital technology.
Hailey Elizabeth Stepien was born on November 19, 2012, the Monday before Thanksgiving Day, making Ralph and Annette great grandparents for the first time. Of course, they received countless iPad pictures from Chesapeake, VA where she was born. Ralph was hospitalized with a stroke the following weekend at Saint Mary's Hospital, and passed away on December 10, 2012. He is survived by his spouse of 68 years, Annette Flournoy Swiger. She continues to reside at Dogwood Terrace with good friends, good food, and her daughter and son in law who live nearby.
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