Alice Swetnam

Alice (Mings) Swetnam was born on May 16, 1926 to Robert "Kin" McKinley and Macie Belle (Stilley) Mings, at Embree, Missouri, and went home to be with the Lord on November 17, 2021 at the Kabul Nursing Center in Cabool, Missouri.

Alice was the sixth of the thirteen children of Kin and Macie, the fourth of the ten who lived beyond infancy. She left home at the age of fifteen to join her older sister working at the Fort Leonard Wood laundry alongside Italian and German prisoners of war. While living at Roby, Missouri, Alice met Edgar Swetnam and they were married June 4, 1944.

Alice attended cosmetology school at Lebanon, Missouri in 1959-1960. She then worked in beauty shops in Mountain Grove until moving to north Missouri. She owned beauty shops in Butler and Excelsior Springs, Missouri. Fixing hair was her vocation, her passion, and her ministry. God brought people to her beauty shop to give her opportunities to bless them.

Alice came to Christ at the age of eight during a brush arbor revival where the Embree Community Church is now located. Until recently she was always active in whatever church she was a member. She worked with women, youth, and children's ministries. She is a member of Kearney First Baptist Church.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Edgar Swetnam, a daughter, A. Charlene Moore, two infant brothers, one infant sister, siblings, Earl Mings, Wilma Wolfe, Pauline Coble Anderson, Vearl Mings, Emmitt Mings, Nolan Mings, Jesse Mings, Macie Smith, Beulah Coble, and twenty-two nieces and nephews.

Alice is survived by three children, Donna Allen, Shirley Rich (Charlie), Tony Swetnam (Lori), three grandchildren, Heather York (Jason), Todd Swetnam, Allison Swetnam, one great-grandson, Hayden Liggett, four sisters-in-law, Opal Mings, Alma Mooney, Pat Mings, Brenda Mings, and thirty-nine nieces and nephews.