Duane Schwab

Duane Schwab, 81, of Britt, passed away on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City.

Due to the winter weather, visitation will be postponed to 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM  Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at Ewing Funeral Home, 178 Center Street West in Britt. 

A Celebration of Life Visitation will be held from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM on Monday, December 29, 2025 at Ewing Funeral Home, 178 Center Street West in Britt.

Private graveside service will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Britt with Military Honors.

Duane was born to Harold August Schwab and Astred Linnea (Pearson) Schwab in Britt, Iowa at the Swan Maternity Home on September 2, 1944. Duane grew up on a farm near Corwith, Iowa and graduated from Corwith-Wesley High School.

His interest and skills in mechanics showed through starting with his cool cars and work on farm machinery. His sisters especially recall his sense of humor and goofing around such as putting his niece into a pair of overalls hanging on the clothesline. Duane was also good at storytelling as he had great recall of details of past events.

In 1965 during the Vietnam War, Duane was drafted to the Army and sent to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for basic training. Only Duane and one other draftee in his unit had taken typing while in high school and therefore qualified to be sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia to be trained in communications. He then served in the Washington DC area until he was discharged in July of 1967. The military then hired Duane as a civilian to continue his communications work in the area. He was at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

Duane then moved to Union, Illinois to work for his sister and her spouse at the Mink Barnwhere Marlys and Bill Talidis had a retail store and raised mink and designed and manufactured mink coats. Duane then purchased a home in Britt, Iowa and worked at Winnebago Industries in Forest City and Iowa Mold and Tool in Garner, Iowa. Duane then returned to farming around 1978 with his father and brother, Dennis. He moved to the rural home adjoining the Schwab homestead. After many years of farming, Duane settled in Britt in his retirement home in 2016.

Duane is survived by his sister Marlys Schwab Talidis and her son James, Union, Illinois; sister Joy Schwab, Rochester, MN; sister Darlene Schwab, Fort Myers, FL; sister-in-law Connie Krenik Schwab; nephew Brandon Schwab (Sara) and niece Lindsay Schwab Thilges (Nolan); great nephews Carter and Colin Schwab; Fiona and Coen Thilges along with many extended family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Dennis Schwab and niece, Stefanie Talidis.