The Swing Sisters

Lois Long (4/5/1929 - 3/23/2023) was a dear friend of the Swing Sisters since 2006 when we met at a senior retirement community in Mishawaka, IN.   Lois and her ‘loving’ companion, Richard had been together until he passed away in 2016 at the age of 99.  

Born in Holly Grove, Kanawha County, W.V., Lois had an adventurous life, especially living in Northern Indiana!  Wherever Lois made her home she was an ‘ambassador’ welcoming folks to their new home with smiles, hugs and words of encouragement.  Lois was also known for her column, “Moments with Lois” recalling the good old days with humor and homespun snippets of her life growing up in the hollers of West Virginia.  In her spare time Lois grew beautiful flowers, plants and crocheted scarves and vests.  Definitely a firm believer in ‘idle hands are the devil’s workshop’ Lois never let moss grow under her feet.

In June 2017, Lois’s sons moved her from Mishawaka, Indiana to Winston-Salem, North Carolina to be closer to her large family.  Keeping “in touch” never was the same again as having Lois here with us!

 May you always fly with the Angels!

Carl “Carla” Stasinowsky (7/8/1928-8/28/2020)  was “born on a round dining room table on a Sunday Morning at 2 a.m.” in Chicago, Illinois. He wanted you to know this!

Carl was a first generation German and his mother’s maiden name was Winkler (no relation, that we know of, to Gabriela!).  His soul mate, Millie, snatched him up in 1967 for the remainder of her life.

Carl had been an “Honorary Swing Sister” since October 2015 assisting with German Hour with Gabi (of The Swing Sisters) program at Woodland Terrace in Bridgeman, Michigan singing the old German songs in his beautiful operatic voice.

When Carl was presented with a Swing Sister jacket he felt he wasn’t a true Swing Sister unless he donned a blonde wig, becoming known as “Carla”.

Carl did not live at Woodland Terrace but came to visit and hear The Swing Sisters with his best friend Dick. Much to Dick’s chagrin, “Carla” was at times a bit ‘too out there’ for him. Shopping for just the right ‘Carla look’ was sometimes more than Dick could handle earning him an extra star in Heaven!

Carl has since joined the Heavenly Angel Choir carrying on The Swing Sister tradition.

Isolde “Mutti” Winkler (5/1/1930-6/17/2021) - Gabriela’s “Mutti”, as she was known later in her life, was a true fan and follower of The Swing Sisters attending most of their local performances.   In 2017 “Mutti” needed a new car and being a good German woman she faithfully stuck to Volkswagen.  Gabriela talked her into a VW Beetle insisting how cute would she and Helen look toodling around to our gigs in a Beetle.  And they looked adorable, The Beetle Team!

Helen Silvey (11/22/1917-2/10/2020) - Helen and her family were lifelong friends of the Winklers.  Helen was a firecracker!  When she turned 100 she did not have: white hair, glasses, hearing aids, walker!!  Being a tap dancer as a young girl she kept tap dancing in her chair while listening and singing along to The Swing Sisters programs. It brought smiles to everyone who saw her tap!

The are both sorely missed as The Swing Sisters entourage. Nancy & Gabriela both know Mutti and Helen are up there proudly listening, smiling and tapping away to the sounds of The Swing Sisters!