Trudy Wallis, age 93, currently of Papillion, Nebraska, formally of Hacienda Heights, California, passed away on Friday, January 26, 2024.
Graveside services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 29, 2024, at the Liston Township Cemetery of Danbury, Iowa.
The Armstrong-Van Houten Funeral Home of Mapleton, Iowa, is handling the arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.armstrongfuneral.com.
Gertrude “Trudy” Helen (Swanger) Wallis, was born on the Swanger family farm in Mifflenburg, Pennylvania, on August 15, 1930, to John Luther and Mazie “Chattie” (Lee) Swanger. She had one brother, Charles “Chuck” Lee Swanger.
Trudy’s mother, Chattie, took care of her sick grandfather, James Lee, until his death, and as a gift was given a train trip back to Pennsylvania to visit relatives. While there, she met and married John, and had Chuck and Trudy. Because of the busy Pennsylvania Turnpike that had to be crossed, Chuck and Trudy started Country School at the same time, so they could both walk to school together. In November of 1937, her father, John, died of pneumonia after coming home from a deer hunting trip in the mountains. Her mother, Chattie, then packed up their possessions and moved Chuck and Trudy back to Danbury, Iowa, where they moved in with their grandparents, Charles and Mary (Hoy) Lee, on the Lee family farm.
Trudy then attended Danbury Public School. When grandparents, Charles and Mary Lee, died, the Lee family farm was sold and Chattie, Chuck, and Trudy moved into the town of Danbury. Trudy (and Chuck) graduated from Danbury Public High School in 1947. Trudy (and Chuck) both attended Wayne State College, in Wayne, Nebraska. After graduation, Trudy taught 3rd Grade in Ida Grove, Iowa, for a few years. Trudy and a friend decided to move to Denver, Colorado, and this is where she met her husband, William “Bill” Jason Wallis, Jr., who was stationed with the U.S. Air Force. They were married in Whittier, California, on January 24, 1953, and later moved to Hacienda Heights, California. Trudy worked for the Whittier Public Library in an administration job for over 30 years. At the age of 53, Bill passed away on October 23, 1985, from Acute Mylogenous Leukemia. Trudy continued to work and live in California, until April of 2021, when she decided to move to Papillion, Nebraska, to be closer to family.
Survivors include 2 nephews and a niece, John (and Michelle) Swanger and family, Jessica Swanger (Mitch Chohon) and Michael Swanger of Papillion, NE; Carl Swanger of Danbury, IA, and Laura (and Mark) Weber and family, Beth Weber and Paul Weber and Anne Weber of Mapleton, IA.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William “Bill” J. Wallis, Jr.; parents, John L. and Mazie Chattie (Lee) Swanger; her brother and wife, Charles “Chuck” and Edna (Copp) Swanger (formerly of Mapleton, Iowa); and her in-laws, William J. and Alma A. (Goed) Wallis, Sr.
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