Alberta Swingle Crowe

Alberta Pointer Swingle Crowe, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 11, 2008, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center.

She was born Jan. 9, 1918, in Columbia, Mo., daughter of Leon Royce Pointer and Mary Frances Langston Eure Pointer. She and Morley G. Swingle were married July 21, 1942. He died July 10, 1964. She and Samuel Howard Crowe Jr. were married Jan. 8, 1969. He died Jan. 25, 1972.

Alberta's parents divorced when she was 4 years old, and she was raised in Poplar Bluff, Mo., by her great-aunt, Alberta Langston Eure ("Aunt Bertie") and her husband, Dr. James B. Eure ("Uncle Doctor").

Promoted three class grades above her age level, she graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 1934 at the age of 16 and graduated from Southeast Missouri State University (then known as the Normal School) in 1937 at the age of 19, with a double major in education and music. While in college she worked in its library for Sadie Kent.

Alberta taught at many area schools. Her first teaching job was in Greenville, Mo. She also taught at Chaffee, Marston and Randles, Mo., and at Franklin, Alma Schrader and the old Lorimier School in Cape Girardeau.

During World War II she served as the principal at Randles. During her teaching years, Alberta also played the organ at several churches and taught piano lessons.

Alberta was the head librarian at the Crystal City Public Library from 1974 to 1990.

An avid bridge player who took up the game at the age of 14, Alberta was a member of the American Contract Bridge League and played competitive duplicate bridge at tournaments in St. Louis and other places, earning distinction as a Life Master.

Survivors include a son, H. Morley (Candace) Swingle of Cape Girardeau; a daughter Melinda (Mike) Bobbitt of Columbia; granddaughters, Olivia A. Swingle and Veronica C. Swingle of Cape Girardeau, Melissa R. Vought and Adrienne L. Vought of Columbia; sisters, Patricia (Donald) Beard of Irvingtown, Va., Katherine (Ray) Henrikson of Delmar, N.Y.; brothers, Peter L. (Linda) Pointer of Columbus, Ohio, James (Ethel) Swarts of Leechburg, Pa.; a stepson, Samuel H. (Bunny) Crowe III of Caruthersville, Mo.; stepdaughters, Shirley L. May of Webb City, Mo., Frances (Rees) Nickerson of Brandon, Fla., and Laura (Dale) Capehart of DeSoto, Mo.

Alberta was preceded in death by her two husbands; an infant son; her parents; two brothers, Robert Swarts and Bud Swarts of Pennsylvania; stepfather, Stanley Swarts of Leechburg; and stepmother, Katherine H. Pointer of Erie, Pa.

Alberta was a member of Centenary United Methodist Church for most of her life. During the years she lived in Crystal City she was a member of the United Methodist Church in Festus and sang in its choir.

There will be no visitation.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Cape County Memorial Park, with the Rev. Jeff Long officiating. She will be buried next to her husband, Morley.

The family requests that memorials take the form of contributions in her name to Cape Girardeau Public Library.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.