Amy Louise (Swank) Berry

Mrs. Amy Louise Swank Berry died on Tuesday evening, January 8, after a lengthy illness.

Mrs. Berry was born on June 9, 1920, at Rush Ridge, the Swank family farm east of Charleston in Mississippi County, Missouri. She was the ninth of 12 children born to William Alfred and Alma Fern Swank. The family moved to Poplar Bluff in 1930.

Mrs. Berry is the widow of Ollie Bergon Berry, who died in 1986. Mrs. Berry was a member of First United Methodist Church, where she was active in the United Methodist Women. She was a leader in both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, serving in many capacities, and was also active in the Order of the Eastern Star.

In 1940, Mrs. Berry became a telephone operator for Southeast Telephone Company, which was later bought by Southwestern Bell. She worked for Southwestern Bell until the Poplar Bluff office closed in 1979. In the 1940s and 50s she was ""ahead of her time"" in juggling the challenges of simultaneously working full-time and caring for young children.

Mrs. Berry is survived by a daughter, Phyllis Long (Dennis), of Poplar Bluff; three sons: Neal Berry (Valerie), of Arlington, Virginia, Keith Berry (Lynette), of Plano, Texas, and Eric Berry (Pattie), of Poplar Bluff; a sister, Mrs. Beaulah Brunell, of Denver, Colorado; five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; 23 nieces and nephews, and many great-nieces and great?nephews.

Visitation will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel. The funeral service will follow at 2:30 p.m. in the funeral chapel with Rev. David Stewart officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Poplar Bluff.

Memorial contributions may be made to Rush Ridge Cemetery Fund, c/o Cotrell Funeral Service. P.O. Box 548, Poplar Bluff, MO 63902.