John Schwartz

John A. Schwartz, age 64, of Darlington, WI, passed away at UW Hospital in Madison on April 19, 2023, after a day surrounded by family and close friends. He was born on January 2, 1959, the son of Ralph and Audrey (Bentall) Schwartz. John grew up in Darlington where he graduated from Darlington High School. After graduating from UW-Platteville in 1982, with degrees in technical agriculture and animal science, John returned home to become the herdsman for Schwartzdale Clydesdales, the family horse business. In 1987, along with his parents, John expanded the farm to include growing corn and soybeans. Over time, he did consistent soil and plant tissue testing, by which he was able to balance the plants' macro- and micro-nutrients, leading to his best crop year ever in 2022. In 1993, John left his position at USDA FSA to become a federal crop insurance adjuster, eventually becoming an agent and starting his own crop insurance agency, Mid-States Crop Insurance Services, LLC. He built a multimillion-dollar agency by traveling the state, providing farmers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about the best way to protect their crops. He enjoyed visiting with each farmer and built many friendships along the way. In 2004, with the help of eHarmony.com, he met the true love of his life, Mary Norrbom, and they were united in marriage in Madison on August 20, 2005. They lived in Mount Horeb until May 2021, when they built their dream house and moved back to Darlington. John enjoyed traveling with Mary, especially to Europe. He appreciated good music and theater, and enjoyed golfing, helping Mary take a few strokes off her game. John is survived by his wife, Mary, and his three brothers, Jim, Joe (Kathi), and Jay (Maryna) Schwartz, along with his in-laws and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents, Henry and Theresa (Ellman) Schwartz and Orville and Irma (Stebelton) Bentall. John also is survived by the best group of life-long friends a guy could ask for: Dave, Greg, Jeff, Joe, and Tim. He was blessed to spend the last weeks of his life enjoying their company (along with their wives), swapping stories, and reliving 59 years of good memories of Holy Rosary, fishing trips, and Badger games. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, April 28, 2023 at 11:30 AM at Holy Rosary Catholic Church (104 E Harriet St., Darlington) with Fr. Luke Syse officiating. Burial will be in Holy Rosary Cemetery. A visitation will be held Thursday, April 27, 2023 from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Erickson Funeral Home (508 Main St, Darlington) and on Friday from 10:30 AM until 11:15 AM at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.ericksonfuneralhome.com. For those who prefer, a memorial fund has been established in John's name.