Wayne J. Swartzendruber

Wayne J. Swartzendruber of Chelsea, formerly of Pigeon, age 80, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 8, 2025. Wayne was born November 11, 1944 in Pigeon, the son of the late John and Alta (Maust) Swartzendruber. He grew up in a close-knit community and attended Laker High School, where he was proud to be a member of the school’s first graduating class in 1963. Following high school, he pursued higher education at Eastern Mennonite College in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

On August 31, 1968, Wayne married the former Geraldine Dietzel. The couple cherished over fifty-seven years of marriage and raised two beloved children, building a life centered around faith and family together. He began his professional career as a physical therapy assistant at Scheurer Hospital, and later worked for Dietzel Electric, Shelter Plumbing, and eventually Standard Electric, where he served as a delivery driver until his well-earned retirement.

Wayne was a longtime devoted member of the Pigeon River Mennonite Church, where he grew in his relationship with God and cherished the fellowship of his church family. After moving to Chelsea, Wayne joined the Silver Maples Retirement Community, where he found new friendships and enjoyed the peace of retirement. In his spare time, he enjoyed reading and working on his remote-controlled airplanes. He spent countless hours building, perfecting, and flying them, taking great satisfaction in the challenge and simple joy of watching them soar.

Above all, Wayne will be remembered for his deep faith in the Lord and the boundless love he had for his family as a devoted husband, loving father, and proud grandfather.

Wayne is survived by his wife, Geraldine Swartzendruber of Chelsea; two children and their spouses, Brian & Tracy Swartzendruber of Hudson, Ohio, and Dawn & Chris Putnam of Chelsea; grandchildren, John Putnam, Grace Swartzendruber, Marah Putnam, and Henry Swartzendruber; and two brothers, John Swartzendruber of Heston, Kansas, and Rich Swartzendruber of Bad Axe.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, 2025 at the Ransford Funeral Home in Pigeon. Wayne’s family will be present to receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the service at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Thumb Breadbasket (PO Box 648, Pigeon, MI, United States, Michigan) or Faith in Action (https://faithinaction1.org/donate/).