William “Allen” Swisher, 92, of Piedmont, died March 6, 2024. He was born November 20, 1931, to Allen Russell and Anna (Schoneman) Swisher on the family farm, north of Piedmont. His mother was a nurse, who served as the community midwife. Allen was delivered by Dr. C.D. Baird, Eureka, who made house calls at that time. His father, born in Coffeyville, Kansas, was a miller, railroader and oilfield worker. Family lore placed him as the boy in the photograph looking through the wooden fence at the displayed corpses of the Dalton Gang after their botched raid on two banks in Coffeyville.
William Allen attended Harmony (District #28) Grade School and graduated from Piedmont High School in 1949. He played basketball and baseball. After school while he waited to ride the athletic bus to games, he racked pool balls for 50 cents a game. It was at this time, he saw moonshine regularly bootlegged out of Missouri concealed in a truck load of oats.
In 1947, he met Viola Butler from Tonovay, at a high school basketball game, where she was playing. She was the love of his life. They were married April 1952 and were inseparable until her death in 2016.
The day after their wedding, Allen entered the Air Force and boarded a train in Kansas City for basic training in Oakland, Calif. After basic, Allen and Vi lived in Wichita Falls, Texas, and Houston, Texas.
Allen worked as an aircraft hydraulic mechanic. After being honorably discharged from the United States Air Force, Allen and Vi returned to the family farm raising cattle and crops. He also worked for K.T. Weideman at Beaumont, as a shop mechanic; Boeing Aircraft in Wichita; and finally Shelly Oil refinery, El Dorado, where he retired after 34 years.
Allen enjoyed hunting, fishing, horses, rodeos, and raising kids and cattle. He was a board member of Rural Water District #1, Greenwood County Farm Bureau, Severy Coop and Greenwood County Cattlemen Association. He served as an officer of several of these organizations.
Allen was preceded in death by his parents, wife, one sister and one granddaughter. He is survived by one son, Brian (Margie) Swisher; one daughter, Kelley (Jeff) Davidson; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren.
The family will greet friends on Friday, March 22, from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Eureka United Methodist Church, 521 N. Main St., Eureka, KS 67045 with a Celebration of Allen’s Life beginning at 2 p.m. Burial will immediately follow at the Greenwood Cemetery, in Eureka, beside his wife.
In lieu of flowers, contributions are encouraged to be given to the Greenwood County 4-H Foundation or the Greenwood County Historical Society and may be sent to Webb and Rodrick Chapel and Crematory, 306 West Main, Independence, KS 67301.
