Edith Switzer Obituary

Edith (Edee) Marian Lyda Switzer passed peacefully at home a little after 6 pm June 19, 2025 from natural causes. She lived in Colorado Springs in the same home for over 40 years. She was born June 14, 1940 in Bridger, Montana in a little house owned by her great Uncle Harry and Aunt Edith. Her Aunt Edith delivered her, and this is who she was named after.
Her parents were Claude and Lorraine Lyda. She was the second child of four. Her older sister, Doris Lehrman, precedes her in death, as does her younger sister, Janet Lyda, and her youngest brother Ralph Lyda. Her parents moved to Wyoming to farm when she was 3 and her dad also worked as a car mechanic. She struggled with polio early in life, but was eventually able to overcome it with nightly leg massages from her parents before bed. When she was 9, her parents decided to move to Wenatchee, Washington when they discovered (while attending her uncle's funeral) that Claude could breath and his asthma went away. They sold some of her mom's canned goods, fixed up an old school bus, created bunks for the kids, and headed west.
At around this same time, her future husband Steve DeCamp (age 12at the time) was leaving the woods of Arkansas to travel by train with his family to the Entiat Valley (close to Wenatchee). He was also born in a small log cabin in the Ozarks, and barefoot on the train as no shoes would fit his swollen feet bit by chiggers and ticks.
They met through church meetings, and she was taken by his guitar playing and charisma. Much to her parents chagrin, they eloped to Sandpoint Idaho shortly after she graduated from high school in 1958. They moved to Zigzag, Oregon and lived in a small trailer. In February 1960, their first child, Larinda was born. Fifteen months later, their second child, Cynthia (Cindy) was born. During those years, Steve worked for the Forest Service. In 1962, they moved to Corvallis, Oregon where Steve began attending Oregon State University. In 1965, they moved to Laramie, Wyoming where he completed his degree in Range Management. He eventually accepted a job with FHA, and this work resulted in their moving 16 times in 12 years throughout Colorado. During these years, Edith enjoyed being a homemaker, and would occasionally take a part-time bookkeeping job. She enjoyed interior design, sewing, crocheting, and canning. After 27 years, her marriage to Steve ended.
Edith excelled in sales and began with good success as a real estate agent in Wenatchee, Washington. When she moved out of that state, she sold men's suits at JC Penneys, and then found her way to interior design sales initially at JC Penneys, then Academy Carpet. She was able to purchase her own home and build a retirement for herself. A close friend (Sandra Mitchell) convinced her to come work for Sears selling appliances and that was her last job before retiring at age 65.
In 1993, mutual friends connected her with the true love of her life, Marvin Switzer. They both came from similar religious and rural backgrounds and they knew they had found their match. They were married in Hawaii in 1994 followed by a reception in Colorado Springs. They enjoyed traveling to Wyoming, Montana, Washington, and Alaska. They fixed up the back yard and xeriscaped the front yard. They hosted Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and many birthdays for the family for many years. Sadly, Marv lost his battle to cancer in 2004.
Left to carry on alone, Edee formed deep friendships with other women and widows. Most will remember her for her unbiased acceptance and her wisdom. Many friends and family have laid their heavy burdens at her feet through some of their darkest and steepest challenges. She patiently helped them find their way back to wholeness and did so with a twinkle in her eye. She enjoyed traveling and over the course of her life, was able to visit Germany (Nordick), Switzerland (Nordick), Israel (Strevette), Ecuador (ACC), Mexico (Landis/Strevette), Alaska (Landis/Marv), and many of the United States (Marv).
She is survived by two daughters Larinda Decamp (Hinton, OK), and Cynthia (Cindy) Landis (Kennewick, WA); four grandchildren, Renee Tong & Joshua Wolfe (Kennewick, WA), Ty & Brittany Jorgensen (Bellingham, WA), Ashley and Jeremiah Mitchell (Oklahoma City, OK), Hunter Winstead & husband (Oklahoma); six great grandchildren, Kalie Tong Winstead; Kaitlin Winstead; Adaline and Slater Jorgensen; Nathan and Ethan Mitchell. Three step-children, Gerald (Jerry) Switzer, James (Jim) Switzer, Linda Switzer, and "chosen son," Kerry Don Nordick.
Memorial service: 11:00 AM on Monday, June 30, 2025
Academy Christian Church, 1635 Old Ranch Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80908
3:00 PM graveside service at 3 pm (all are welcome)
Lake George Cemetery, 40421 County Road 77, Lake George, CO 80827
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