[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 11, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING GAIL SWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 11, 2008

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Gail 
Nanette Sward for her dedication to her family, business and community. 
Mrs. Sward passed away at her home in Oakdale CA, surrounded by her 
family on Sunday, March 2, 2008.
  Gail Sward was bom and raised in Stanislaus County; she attended 
Turlock schools and graduated from Turlock High School in 1959. On 
March 1, 1966, Sward Trucking began operating out of Oakdale, as a sole 
proprietorship and became a California Corporation on September 1, 
1977. Mrs. Sward was the co-founder of Sward Trucking and helped to 
build it from the ground up. Today Sward Trucking operates 50 tractors 
and 100 trailer units to transport a number of commodities including: 
lumber, roofing, insulation and related building materials, corrugated 
paper, waste paper, glass containers, empty cans, plastic bottles, case 
goods and plastic pipe. The company transports goods throughout 
California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Mrs. Sward was only 
more dedicated to one other thing in her life, her family.
  Mrs. Sward was a mother, a businesswoman, a community advocate and 
leader. She was a past president of the Oak Valley Hospital Foundation, 
past president of OLGA, director and past president of the Stanislaus 
County Fair Board. She was also a board member of Private Industry 
Council and past president of the Oak Valley Hospital Board. She has 
been honored for her services in a number of ways. In 1996 Mrs. Sward 
was a delegate to the Republican Convention. In 1998 she was named the 
Stanislaus County Outstanding Woman of the Year and the 1999 
Legislative Woman of the Year.
  Mrs. Sward is survived by her husband of 47 years, Vic Sward, her 
children; Saundra West and Eric Sward; her grandchildren; Sara Shipman, 
Nic West and her great grandchildren; Cameron, Kaidyn, Cole and Case.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to posthumously honor Gail Sward for her 
dedication to her family, her business and her community. I invite my 
colleagues to join me in honoring her life and wishing the best for her 
family.

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