Obituary: Sherry Little Swinton

Sherry Little Swinton, 89, passed away at Wesley on Grand in Des Moines, Iowa on January 11, 2026. Funeral services will be held at Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines at 11 a.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026, with visitation starting at 9:30 a.m. Memorial contributions may be directed to Families Forward. The Swinton family lived in Mount Ayr from 1968 to 1975
The daughter of Ralph E. Little and Erma “Faye” Sypult Little, Sherry was born on May 30, 1936, and was raised in Davenport, Iowa. She met her future husband, Jerrold Swinton, during their senior year of high school. They graduated from Davenport High School in 1954 and were married the following year.
Sherry went from tomboy to top student to minister’s wife, to mother of four, then a non-traditional college graduate from University of Iowa in 1966, a teacher, a librarian, a grandmother, and has always been a friend to many.
Sherry was always organized and creative whether as a Brownie leader, President of the United Methodist Ministers’ Wives (in the 1970’s), craft leader at church camp or
Vacation Church School, UMW or PEO. She was able to make activities fun, and her children fondly remember all the camping vacations she planned for the family.
Sherry touched the lives of her students in Mount Ayr, Mediapolis, and Lowden, and all the youth and adults in the churches she and Jerry served, including Millersburg, Mount Ayr, Wapello, Tipton and Albia.
Sherry never stopped teaching or learning. She programmed computers in the early 1980’s and learned to use a knitting machine, making sweaters for all. After retirement, she hand-quilted in a quilting club and she taught English as a second language. Then she decided to learn Spanish so she and Jerry attended Language School in Mexico. They also visited many countries throughout the world.
She had a special gift for not drawing attention to herself but paying attention to and listening to others. “Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also.” Proverbs 31:28.
She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Jerry; daughter Kit Phelps of Tipton; sons Tim of Clemons, Paul and his wife Kelly of Des Moines, Dave and his wife Shari Stucker of Des Moines; 12 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Fred and Paul and sister Sandy Trent.