Anne Swanson Yappen

Funeral Services for Anne Swanson Yappen will be held on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at St. Mark’s Methodist Church at 10am with Rev. Lisa Mayhugh and Rev. D.W. McLendon officiating and under the direction of Haggard Funeral Home.  Interment will immediately follow at Yates Cemetery in Scottsville, Texas.  A time of visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, from 6 to 8pm at St. Mark’s Methodist Church.

 Anne peacefully entered the presence of her Savior on June 27th after a courageous journey with Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson’s. As our family heard her take her final breath on this earth, we celebrated that she was taking her first breath in heaven.

Anne was born on September 15, 1942, to Wilbur Jacob and Phyllis Maxine Swanson in the small farming community of Fremont, Iowa, where hard work, and close-knit community shaped her character. She worked in her parents’ grocery store and detasseled corn during the summers. She graduated as a salutatorian from Fremont High School before attending Coe College as she transitioned to larger settings. Anne never met a stranger and possessed a gift for making people feel welcomed—a trait that would define the rest of her life.

In 1965, Anne was married in Iowa at the historic Little Brown Church in the Vale. She moved to Texas shortly thereafter to open Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in Beaumont and Marshall. Anne wore the iconic red uniforms…a color she would later jokingly vow never to wear again.

More important than any business venture was her role as a mother. Anne welcomed her sons, Darrin in 1969 and Scott in 1970. As a widowed mother in the mid-70s, she demonstrated remarkable resilience, determination, and sacrifice. Her home became a second home for many neighborhood children, and many youths considered her a second mother.

 From the early 1980s until her passing, Larry Ford was her devoted companion and faithful partner. Larry embraced not only Anne but also the challenge of helping raise two boys, earning their love and respect.

 Never one to shy away from taking risks, Anne began her real estate and insurance career in Marshall in 1979 before founding Action Realty in the early 1980s. For more than four decades, she helped others buy and sell homes and built lasting friendships with many of those she served.

 Anne was known for her impeccable style. She was never without a fashionable outfit. She delighted in collecting beautiful things—treasures, each with a story behind it. She loved to travel America and the world making memories. She spent time at Caddo Lake creating memories with friends filled with laughter and Memorial Day gatherings.

A woman of deep faith, Anne faithfully attended St. Mark’s Methodist Church for decades and became one of its first female Lay Leader. Her commitment to serving others extended throughout the Marshall community. She was a lifetime member of the Greater Marshall Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, Pilot Club, the League of Women Voters, and numerous other professional and civic organizations. Through Pilot Club, she delivered countless Lifeline emergency response systems to elderly residents. In 2008, she received “Marshall Citizen of the Year”. Anne leaves behind a legacy of volunteerism, generosity, perseverance, laughter, and unwavering faith.

She is survived by her sons, Darrin Yappen and wife Melanie, Scott Yappen and wife Lisa; her partner, Larry Ford; honorary daughter, Dixie Harris and husband Colonel Bryan; sibling, Bob Swanson; grandchildren, Dane Ferre’ and wife Micaela, Ethan Yappen, Cate Yappen, Harlow Yappen, Cassis Yappen; great grandchild, David Ferre’; niece, Amber; nephew, Brent. She is also survived by a large extended family of relatives, dear friends, clients, neighbors, and countless others whose lives were enriched by knowing her.

 A Special thanks to her caregivers, Janet Perkins, Sherry Williams, Chereeka Perkins, Shannon Moody, and Lyndy McLendon. Though our hearts grieve her absence, we rejoice knowing that the woman who spent a lifetime caring for others has now heard the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.

Pallbearers will be George Carter, Don Parrish, Dana Havron, Jim McNatt, Kurt Truelove, and Brendan Roth.

In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at https://give.michaeljfox.org/give/421686#!/donation/checkout or the St. Marks Methodist Church at 1101 Jasper Drive Marshall, TX. 75672.

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