Belle Isle View

MEET SWANNIE STANCZYK

Feb 07, 2002

Meet Sweet Swannie Stanczyk who paints pretty pigs. Her home is a storybook. From the long entry hall
into her living room, your eyes are drawn to her many creations which adorn the walls and tables, to the den
with the oversized fireplace with mantle full. From the most beautiful china you could ever imagine to the
countless crafts you could ever imagine.
Swannie considers her home to be akin to a "Bed and Breakfast", as she invites all of us to come by
sometime. When you do you'll find finger puppies from a glove in a cup, angels, a Santa Clause from
Readers Digests, those pretty pink pigs, stringart, wedding plates trimmed in finest gold and The Old
Woman in the shoe with all of "the Mackey kids of Kiowa" on it.
Swannie comes from a large and very close family. She was one of nine children born on their
large farm north of Kiowa, Oklahoma. They all remain close to this day.
They lived in a big two story house on what was once a ranch. She did everything there was to be
done, as she "milked cows, horsed teams, plowed, ran a sulky rake, buck rake and a haypress" to name a
few.
A bride before WWII, she met and married William Stanczyk, Jr. Bill soon joined up with the 45th
Infantry Division, fought and was captured in Italy. He spent two years in P.O.W.camps ending up at one
on the Polish line, with his barracks backing up to the Oder River, across from which was a womens camp.
Everyone escaped during a bombing raid when, after a bomb hit the camp, they noticed the guards had
disappeared. He and a buddy made their way cross country to France, but the rest of them were quickly
recaptured, still on the road, as the guards came back.
Upon his return from the war they had two daughters, Sandra and Sue, and now she also has five
grandchildren and three great-grandchildren about whom she expresses much pride.
Swannie and Bill both worked at Prestolite Battery Company. Swannie worked there for 34 years
but Bill's health failed and he had to retire after 23 years in 1970. He was an elder at the Mayfair Church of
Christ. By 1972, when they moved to this neighborhood, Bill was already in a wheelchair and died in 1974.
Swannie's many talents have left memorable impressions on the lives of so many, as she taught
Sunday School for 30 years, taught Bible in the slums of OKC for 5 years, and still helps out at VBS at the
Mayfair Church of Christ using her "crafts of the bible", (she is also writing a book by that title), to illustrate
and bring to life the teachings of the Bible.
As you pass Swannie's house see the little kids swinging on the front porch, as a reminder of the
rewarding friendship that awaits, when you meet Sweet Swannie Stanczyk.