History
Bessie Roberts Minor was born on June 29, 1887 in Onaga, Pottowatomie County, Kansas. She was raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and then moved to Blackburn, Missouri where she taught school in a one room schoolhouse. She married Dean Edwin Swift on October 12, 1910 in Chicago, Illinois.
They had three boys, Dean Edwin Swift, Harry Minor Swift and Philip Eugene Swift. Dean died in the Philippines in 1946 and Harry passed away in March of 2010. Phil survives today. Although neither Bessie nor her husband had formal education past high school, each of their sons completed college. Phil recalls that the importance of education was reinforced throughout his upbringing not so much through statements or concrete expectations, but more through the example of his mother's interest in English, reading, history and music.
Bessie Minor passed away on May 5, 1972 in Napa, California and is buried next to her husband at the Blackburn Cemetery in Blackburn, Missouri.
GRANT RECIPIENTS by year
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
Nevada Joint Union High School District/Nevada City 49er Breakfast Rotary Club
Nevada City, CA
$1,800 for training peer tutors to assist students struggling with reading/writing
Nevada Union High School
Grass Valley, CA
$2,000 to purchase a video camera to produce video book talks and to purchase best-selling books
South Tahoe High School
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$1,400 to fund a visual arts linoleum print project and display of the projects in the community
Tahoe Art League – Bringing Arts to Schools
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$1,250 to complete their website by adding art prints and project ideas for school volunteers
Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$2,000 to create and publish the first edition of the Kid Trib newspaper
Bijou Community School – Two-Way Immersion Program
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$1,960 to purchase leveled classroom readers for the 3rd an 1st grade classrooms
Umpqua Community College
Roseburg, OR
$1,850 for listening centers in four classrooms to encourage interest in reading in Pre-K students
The Melrose Reading Station
Roseburg, OR
$2,000 to present two 10-week Family Literacy Workshops
Hader Connection
Roseburg, OR
$1,500 to create lesson plans for art and history lessons based on stories/illustrations by Berta and Elmer Hader
Douglas County Youth Orchestra
Roseburg, OR
$1,750 to purchase a new bass violin for the orchestra
Dos Rios Elementary School
Evans, CO
$2,000 to purchase materials to promote science and math literacy using technology and hands-on experimentation
Harold S. Winograd K-8 School
Greeley, CO
$2,000 to support the After School Program to provide intervention to increase reading skills
Galeton Elementary
Galeton, CO
$2,000 to be used for tutoring expenses over the summer for students with Dyslexia
Habitat for Humanity International, Inc.
Greeley, CO
$2,000 to provide tuition for children living in Habitat homes to attend the summer Aims College for Kids
