Thomas & Sandrau Swier

Thomas O. Swier, age 80, and Sandrau F. Swier, age 80, died on Saturday, July 25, 2026, in Sioux Falls. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 AM Saturday, August 8, 2026, at Faith Community Church in Colton, South Dakota. Interment will follow in the Colton Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM Friday, at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Feeding South Dakota or Bread Break.

Thomas Owen Swier was born to Peter and Dorothy Swier on 7 November 1945 in Sioux Falls, SD. Tom grew up on his parents’ farm outside of Colton, SD where he helped his parents and grandparents on the farm, including milking cows and working in the fields. Tom also spent a considerable amount of time with his Grandpa Munce, assisting him with his construction business. Tom attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse outside of Colton, SD where he would walk to school “uphill both ways” on his way to school and back home. Tom also attended the Christian Reformed school in Colton and the Colton High School. As a young man Tom enjoyed hunting, fishing, and playing football. After high school graduation in 1963, Tom was accepted at South Dakota State University where he focused his studies on Animal Science and held jobs in food service and Nielsen’s 6th St Florist. During his first year of college Tom also participated in the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps.

Sandrau Faye Snoozy was born to Frederick and Florence Snoozy on 29 December 1945 in Winokur, GA. Sandrau grew up on her parents’ farm between Dell Rapids, SD and Colton, SD, where she helped take care of her siblings and the responsibilities of the farm. Sandrau developed her excellent culinary skills under her mother’s tutelage, and she enjoyed spending time with her cousins. Sandrau attended school in Colton, SD and graduated as the salutatorian of her class. After high school, Sandrau went on to attend the Mankato Commercial College where she received a secretarial diploma, preparing to become a legal secretary.

Tom and Sandrau met in high school, but the spark between them did not occur immediately. While Tom admired Sandrau from a distance, Sandrau had heard that the Swier boys were known to be “ruffians” and was not interested. Over time however, Sandrau got to know Tom a little better and eventually agreed to go on a date with him. Tom and Sandrau spent much of their free time together and always conveyed that their dates were “well supervised” by Sandrau’s siblings, Deb and Floyd.

As Tom and Sandrau neared the end of their high school careers together, Tom determined that he would no longer be able to see Sandrau with his plans for college in Brookings, SD and Sandrau’s plans for college far away in Mankato, MN. Tom delivered a note to Sandrau, stating that he could no longer see her, leaving her heartbroken. Months later when Tom was returning home from Brookings to visit his family in Colton, he came across a stranded motorist with a broken-down vehicle. Low and behold, the stranded motorist was Sandrau. Tom and Sandrau always tell the story that they rushed into each other’s arms, telling each other how much they missed each other, and were reunited. Within a year, Tom and Sandrau were married in a ceremony in Colton, SD on 8 June 1965.

Once married, Tom and Sandrau resided together in Brookings, SD, living in married student housing until Tom received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science. While living in Brookings Tom and Sandrau were blessed with a Chihuahua named Tikey and a new baby boy, Troy Thomas Swier. Ultimately, Tom and Sandrau decided to keep Troy and Tikey had to find a new home.

Tom, Sandrau and Troy lived briefly in Sioux Falls after leaving Brookings, until Tom received a job offer from Wilson Foods in Cherokee, IA. While living in Cherokee, IA Tom and Sandrau were blessed with another baby boy, Shawn Matthew Swier. Not long after, Tom was assigned by Wilson Foods to run their hog buying station in Ashton, IA. Tom and Sandrau purchased their first home together in Ashton, IA and often remarked later that the last car they purchased cost more than they paid for their first home. While living in Ashton Sandrau was busy with a new family and a new home and Tom spent much of his time with the volunteer fire department.

In July 1975 Tom and Sandrau were blessed with a new baby girl, Vicki Jo Swier. Troy and Shawn canvassed the neighborhood telling everyone that they now had a baby sister. Later that year Wilson Foods assigned Tom to be a hog buyer out of the Cherokee, IA and Tom and Sandrau moved their family to Sutherland, IA in the middle of Tom’s area of responsibility. Tom and Sandrau purchased a newly constructed home on the outskirts of Sutherland and both Tom and Sandrau became active members of the Sutherland United Methodist Church. Tom also became a member of the volunteer fire department in Sutherland.

Tom and Sandrau had always wanted to give their family the experience of growing up in the country, so in December 1979 they jumped at the opportunity to purchase an acreage outside of Sutherland. Tom and Sandrau started a feeder pig operation on the acreage, giving their children the opportunity to develop their work ethic. Later on, they added about 20 laying hens to their acreage and installed a wood burning stove in their home. The family spent many summer and fall days over the first half of the 1980s cutting and splitting wood in preparation for winter. Once Troy, Shawn, and Vicki were old enough to look after themselves, Sandrau returned to work as a legal secretary, working for a law firm in Primghar, IA.

In 1986 Troy flew the coop after enlisting in the Army Reserve and being accepted at South Dakota State University. Not long after this Wilson Foods stopped killing hogs in Cherokee, IA and Tom took a job with Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) as a hog buyer based out of the Columbus Junction, IA plant. Tom and Sandrau moved their family to Washington, IA, buying a small house built in the late 1800s. This was a very stressful time for Sandrau as she had to move everything from a large farmhouse into a much smaller and older house in town. In 1988 Shawn left home after enlisting in the Marine Corps Reserve and being accepted at Iowa State University. Shortly thereafter, IBP transferred Tom to duties as a hog buyer out of the Madison, NE plant and Tom, Sandrau and Vicki moved to Fullerton, NE.

Tom, Sandrau, and Vicki lived in their home in Fullerton, NE until 1990, at which time Tom and Sandrau decided to purchase a home in Norfolk, NE. Vicki struck out on her own in 1993, after being accepted as an undergraduate at South Dakota State University. A year later, Sandrau decided to go back to school, and after 4 years of attending Wayne State College in Wayne, NE Sandrau earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services Counseling, with honors. Shortly thereafter Sandrau started work as a Family Service Worker at the Norfolk, NE Head Start, performing duties in this capacity for 11 years.

In 2001 IBP was purchased by Tyson Foods, and although Tom continued to work as a hog buyer out of the Madison, NE plant, he became the head hog buyer and spent a significant amount of his time mentoring some of the less experienced buyers based out of the plant.

Tom and Sandrau both made the decision to retire from Tyson Foods and Norfolk Head Start in 2011 and purchased a home in Sioux Falls, SD, returning to their roots. In their retirement Tom and Sandrau both had their individual pursuits, such as tinkering in the garage, fixing things grandchildren break, gun collecting, genealogy, following politics, and travel. They enjoyed attending grandchildren’s events together, going “junking,” and just relaxing at home together.

Tom and Sandrau passed away on 25 July 2026 in Sioux Falls, SD.

Tom and Sandrau are survived by their children: Troy (Shar) Swier of Marion, SD, Shawn (Doris) Swier of Nixa, MO, and Vicki (Matt) Swier Mosher of Sioux Falls, SD; 10 grandchildren; 6 great grandchildren; siblings: Sandy Wood of Fort Scott, KS, Walt Swier of Marshall, MO, Kate (Tom) Hepner of Sioux Falls, SD, Deb Snoozy of Colton, SD, and Floyd (Melissa) Snoozy of Colton, SD.

They were preceded in death by parents, Peter and Dorothy Swier, and Frederick and Florence Snoozy; and grandson Ryan Swier.