Carolyn "Cari" (Lambert) Swanson

Carolyn “Cari” (Lambert) Swanson, 75, of Ames and formerly of Dayton, Iowa, passed away on Sunday September 1, 2024, at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, surrounded by family.

A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Friday, September 6, 2024, at the Mission Community Church in Harcourt. Pastors Craig Vote, Dan Altman, and Kyle Bartholic will officiate. A luncheon will follow the service. Private family burial will be at Linn-Owen Cemetery rural Pilot Mound. Visitation will be prior to the services on Friday, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., at the Church. For online obituaries and condolences please visit: www.carsonstappfuneralhome.com

Carolyn Ann Burkhart was born to John and Dorothy (Gladson) Burkhart on December 27, 1948 in the Des Moines General Hospital. She grew up in the Woodward and Granger area until moving with her family to Ogden in 1959. From there, they moved to a farm near Pilot Mound, Iowa, for several years. She graduated with the class of 1967 from Grand Community High School in Boxholm. Following graduation, she attended Buena Vista College in Storm Lake followed by LaJames College of Hairstyling in Fort Dodge. She was united in marriage on August 10, 1968 to Bill Edward Lambert from Dayton. They lived on a family farm located five miles southeast of Dayton for 42 years. To this union was born: Brad Edward (1969), Lori Ann (1972), and Kevin Eric (1978).

Cari enjoyed working in her own beauty salon moved to the farm in 1970. Cari’s Country Curl was owned and operated for 31 years. However, Cari decided to return to college (DMACC and ISU) and finish courses for a degree in elementary education. Her first teaching position was in Otho for the Fort Dodge School District. She taught 4th and 8th grades. She enjoyed taking 8th graders to Washington D.C. for six consecutive years. She changed directions and accepted a position at Ames Middle School as an Accelerated Learning Program director for at risk students. Next, she taught reading to 7th graders at Ames Middle School and returned to Iowa State University for a Master’s Degree in counseling K-12. Gilbert Elementary School hired her as a counselor in the year 2000 and she retired from there in 2013. Bill died of melanoma cancer in 2010 and Cari remained on the farm for six more years. In 2016 she married Charles Swanson from Arizona (formerly of Burnside, IA where they both attended Harcourt Covenant Church with their respective families.) Chuck and Cari were united in marriage January 6, 2016 at Hidden Acres Bible Camp with a simple family ceremony. They bought a home and moved to Ames in the summer of 2016. They enjoyed their large lawn & beautiful flowers, vegetable garden and wonderful neighbors for eight years.

She is preceded in death by her mother Dorothy (1999), father John (2018), and first husband Bill (2010).

She is survived by her husband, Charles Swanson of Ames, Iowa; son Brad (Angie), Melanie (Justice Gordon) and Amanda (Dominic Mutchler) Lambert of Dayton, Iowa, daughter Lori (Todd) Bryce, Austin, Caleb, and Nicholas Welch of Carlisle, Iowa, and son Kevin (Sara) Joel, Mackenzie, Alex Lambert of Dayton, Iowa. She is survived as well by her brother, Ron Burkhart of Ames, Iowa; brothers-in-law, Bruce (Joan) Lambert and Brian (Kathy) Lambert all of Dayton, Iowa, and sister-in-law, Sandi (Steve) Ward of Ames, Iowa; Chuck’s children, Jenna (Bobbi) Jones, Craig (Lynn) Swanson, and Rachel (Michael) Howard; and grandchildren, Cassie (Ryan) Klem, Connor Swanson, Devon (Christine) Chin, and Kai (Celine) Chin; and great-granddaughter, Aetheria Chin.

Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.