Batavia resident Swihart turns 100 years old

The family of Clara Agnes Barnhart Swihart celebrated her 100th birthday February 19, 2020. Agnes' children Joyce & Bob Perkins, Larry Wilson, Bill Shields and Teena Roush were present for this monumental event. The family celebrated with a luncheon at the Pizza Ranch Restaurant in Fairfield. The entire Pizza Ranch staff wished her a happy 100th and invited her back for her birthday in 2021. Other customers who heard of the event came over to the luncheon table to wish Agnes a happy birthday.

On February 23, 2020 the family hosted a birthday party for the extended family, and friends, totaling 48 at the Center in Batavia, Iowa. After a brief lunch, cake and ice cream was served. Agnes' chocolate birthday cake was covered with white frosting, lavender and yellow flowers and a picture of Agnes. Following refreshments was a slideshow presentation and a narration detailing Agnes' life in a timeline style. Agnes was born the year women were granted the right to vote. In 1935, Agnes worked in Mt. Ayr, Iowa, with her mother at WPA, Works Progress Administration, a federal government agency created to assist unemployed people into the workforce.

During WWII, she was a grease monkey at Solar Aircraft in Des Moines where they made manifolds for U.S. military aircraft engines. In another source it states Solar Aircraft was one of the government subsidized plants that manufactured supersonic gas turbine starter carts and air turbines for Rocketdynes and airframe parts for the jet bombers of the new age.

She worked there four years. Agnes went on to marry and she had eight children, four of which have past on. She has many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.