Earl J. Swartz

Earl J. Swartz, age 99 of Starbuck, Minnesota, passed away Sunday, November 17, 2024.

Celebration of Life for Earl J. Swartz will be from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 14, 2024 at the Starbuck V.F.W. Post 4582 in Starbuck, MN.

Earl J. Swartz was an American success story. He was born October 8, 1925, shortly before the start of the Great Depression on a farm in Redwood County, Minnesota. He attended Country School through the eighth grade.

Earl was one of seventeen siblings and step siblings as his father Earl M. Swartz had been widowed twice and married 3 times. As a child he did farm work every day on his father’s farm and for other farmers.

At age 15 he left with one of his older brothers to go work at a hotel. At 17 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was on the boxing team. He served on the U.S.S. Gregory a brand-new destroyer. He saw action in the Pacific Ocean where his ship was crippled at sea for several days after being hit by kamikaze airplanes. He was in the Navy from 1943 to 1946.

On October 19, 1946, he married Anna Mae Goulet. They had eight children together. They were married for 62 years before Anna Mae passed away in 2008.

They began their married life in Benson Minnesota. Earl worked at the Benson Hatchery and Hawley’s Plumbing and Heating before his employer helped him start his own business. They moved to Appleton Minnesota. His business was plumbing and heating but it expanded into a surge dairy farm supply business, selling appliances, and repairing small engines.

In 1963 he sold his business. He bought a farm near Holloway. He began a career in the real estate business which lasted through 1983. While in the real estate business he worked for a nationwide company. Repeatedly he was recognized as the number one office in his district. He became a regional manager with more than a dozen offices under his management. While regional manager his district had the number one office nationwide for two consecutive years.

He was a man of many interests and large ambition. While in Appleton Minnesota besides being a business owner he was a hunter, fisherman, bowler, opened a recreation center, and stockcar driver. He helped start a stock car track and drove a stock car himself.

In 1965 he moved to Starbuck, Minnesota. He had a real estate business, operated a motel, had a bowling alley, and farmed 1200 acres in Pope County all at the same time.

In 1983 Earl began buying and selling collectables. He did this well into his 90’s. During his life he owned multiple pieces of real estate and built several homes. He enjoyed a telling good story, was a teller of jokes, quick witted, and a very good card player.

Earl is survived by all eight of his children: Bonnie, Greg, Deborah, Dan, Brad, Mike, Jeff, and Lisa and their spouses, his grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Arrangements are with Pedersen Funeral Home.