Lorraine V. Schwiesow

On Sunday, May 4, 2025, Resurrection Sunday, Lorraine peacefully received her eternal reward

as God welcomed her in Heaven as part of the Celestial Host. On April 11th she celebrated her

100th birthday with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, friends and family. She

 was a lifelong Lutheran who provided the gift of a strong Christian example and instruction to

her seven children (including a ”sponsored” child from Brazil), nine grandchildren and 22 great

grandchildren, all of whom survive her.

Lorraine was born on April 11, 1925 in Lake Preston, South Dakota, into a large, first-generation

family of Danish immigrants. Her family, including generations that followed, were farmers.

She was preceded in death by her husband William (“Bill”) Schwiesow of 58 years. She also was

preceded in death by all eleven of her brothers and sisters.

Her faith, her husband and her family were her first priorities. On Sundays between worship

and Bible class she enjoyed coffee and donuts and socializing in addition to learning more about

Jesus’ teachings. She was fond of saying “life is uncertain, eat dessert first!” And she was

especially fond of chocolate milkshakes.

She touched the lives of hundreds of other children with her decades of teaching, initially as a

very young teacher of grades 1-7 in a one-room rural schoolhouse in her native South Dakota.

Lorraine also taught preschool in several states, moving to support her husband’s educational

and career aspirations. Her longest tenure as a teacher was in the Preschool of The Lutheran

Church of St. Andrew.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Lorraine’s memory to The Lutheran

Church of St. Andrew, 15300 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20905-5633, or Casey

House, Montgomery Hospice, 6001 Muncaster Mill Road, Rockville, MD 20855,

www.montgomeryhospice.org, where she received amazing and loving care during her final

days.