William E. Swetnam Major USMC(Ret) was born in Homer Georgia on August 9th, 1917, son of the Reverend and Mrs. Ernest C. Swetnam. His early years were spent in Methodist parsonages in the North Georgia Conference. He graduated from high school in Gainesville, Georgia, Young Harris Junior College in Young Harris, Georgia, and Emory University. He taught in high schools before World War II, and spent 2 1/2 years private teaching in Brazil with a missionary family and where his uncle, Dr. Walter Swetnam ran a mission school for the Presbyterian Church.

World War II started and as soon as he could get back to the states, he joined the Marine Corps. During his career in the Marine Corps, he served in World War II and Korea. He had duty stations from the east coast to the west coast. For three years, he was the marine officer instructor at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. In Mississippi, he was awarded a life time membership in the Lions Club International.

He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, and served as a scout, scout master, institutional representative and other positions.

Upon retirement, he taught junior high in Beaufort County Schools for 15 years. To enhance his teaching skills and with the help of the National Science Foundation, he completed graduate courses during summers at Georgia Southern, University of North Carolina, Michigan State, and the University of Montana.

Before his retirement, he bought property in North Carolina, and by 1971 had a summer home in the mountains. After retirement from the school system, he had his second home here in Franklin and divided his time between Franklin and Beaufort, South Carolina. As he often said, he had "the best of two worlds�.

He volunteered at Angel Medical Center for many years and belonged to the Career Military Retirees and was an active communicant at St. Agnes Episcopal Church. He is survived by his wife of sixty years, Julia Corless Swetnam, daughter Nancy WilliamsySeverts of Duluth, Georgia, sons Don L. Swetnam of Augusta, Georgia, and son William W Swetnam of Pompano Beach, Florida, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He is also survived also by his sisters, Margaret S. Weldon of Griffin, GA and Anne S. Barton of Beaufort, South Carolina and Franklin North Carolina, and many nieces and nephews.

He has been a resident of Beaufort County, South Carolina since 1962. A communicant of St. Helena�s Episcopal Church for 26 years.

For many years, he was involved with the Beaufort Squares and local and State camping clubs. He enjoyed golf and tennis, traveled to all 50 states and many other countries. He never met a stranger. He was also a charter member of the Low Country Military Officer�s Association.

Memorial Services will be held on November 12, 2005 , 4:00 PM at St. Agnes Episcopal Church, Franklin, North Carolina and November 19th, 2005 at 10:00 am at St. Helena�s Episcopal Church in Beaufort South Carolina.

In Lieu of flowers, the family requests that Memorials be sent to either Church in his name, St. Agnes Episcopal Church, 39 Church Street, Franklin, NC 28734 or St. Helena's Episcopal Church, PO Box 1043, Beaufort, SC 29901.

Macon Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Online condolences available @www.maconfuneralhome.com

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