Jay Allen Swearingen

Jay Allen Swearingen was born June 26, 1957 in Kewanee, Illinois to John and Carol Swearingen. 

Jay died unexpectedly on November 6, 2023 in Wyanet, Illinois. 

He is survived by Jan Swearingen of Peru, IL; brother Terry Swearingen of Wyanet, IL; sister Cherie Kittle (John) of New Braunfels, TX; nieces Angela Summers (Terry) of Yorkville, IL and Ryane Barton (Brandon) of Plainfield, IL. He is also survived by great-nieces Meryn and Piper Barton and great-nephews Ben, Nathan, and Luke Summers. Jay was very proud of his nieces and nephews and would talk about them with anyone who would listen. 

He is preceded in death by parents John & Carol Swearingen; grandparents Claude and Lottie Stabler and Albert and Hannah Swearingen and numerous aunts and uncles.  

Jay attended Wyanet schools and graduated high school in June 1975. The day after graduation, he jumped in his Chevy Monte Carlo and headed to Oklahoma to join a harvest crew for the summer, traveling from Texas to the Montana/Canadian border. He still talked about those 3 months and the friends he made. Shortly after Jay returned home, he bought his first semi-truck and started his independent trucking career that lasted over 40 years. He drove well over 1 million accident-free miles hauling everything from grain and equipment to the Texas-Mexico border and to Fargo North Dakota.  He hauled trade show equipment to Las Vegas and even hauled a pumpkin launcher to coastal Delaware for Pumpkin Chunkin’.   He was a walking road atlas and could give you a shortcut or detour from nearly any interstate exit or blacktop road.

Jay was a lifelong farmer. A favorite part of farming was sweet corn season. The first seed out of his planter was sweet corn. He marked the day on the calendar and the countdown began. Jay shared the sweet corn bounty around the county and if you couldn’t come and pick it, he would deliver it to you. The best part was how he made sure he was a part of the picking and husking and helping the Swearingen family get their share. 

Jay had a great love for pets. Even though he bought Bella, a Shih Tzu puppy for his mom, we really knew it was his dog. Bella recently passed at 14 years old. Jay never knew a stranger and could sit and talk to anyone. He was loved by so many. He was very fond of his friends, Mr. Buddy Weizer, Mr. Jack Daniels, Mr. Jimmy Beam, and Senor Cuervo.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Grant-Johnson Funeral Home in Princeton, IL on Friday, November 10th, 2023 from 4-7pm. Memorials can be made to Friends of Strays in Princeton or Wyanet Fire & Rescue.