ALBANY – Lela "Mae" Swartz, age 74, Albany, died Wednesday March 2, 2011, at Ball Memorial Hospital. Born in Albany on Nov. 18, 1936, she was the daughter of Gerald "Ed" and Clara (Dillon) McKinney. She graduated from Albany High School in 1954 and had lived in Seattle, WA, Muncie, Dunkirk, and most recently Albany. She worked at Sears in Muncie and Seattle and performed home health care for people in Albany before retiring. She was also a loving and nurturing grandmother, a role she truly loved.

Survivors include her children: Chris Swartz (wife: Laura), San Antonio, TX, and Gale Franklin, Ron, Redkey; 4 sisters: Phyllis Millikan (husband: Robert), Dunkirk, Rose Fisher (husband: Jerry), Albany, Sue Hall, Albany, and Diane Kieffer (husband: Dave), Hartford City; 9 grandchildren: Craig, Madison, Jared, Jackson, Julian, Kristin, Briana, Brandon, and Bryan; also, several nieces & nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, 4 sisters: Evelyn Holloway, Barbara Murphy, Wanda Cotton, Linda Reid, and a grandchild: Brett Allen Swartz.

Graveside services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Friday March 4, 2011, at Strong Cemetery, Albany. Burial will follow. There will be no viewing hours.

Memorials may be sent to Orphan Foundation of America, 21351 Gentry Dr., Ste. 130, Sterling, VA 20166.

The family would like to give a special "thank you" to Dale Watson and Barbara Golob.

Mae was especially close to her sister, Phid, who was not only her sister but her best friend.