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
Summit County Rotary Charitable Fund, Literacy Committee
Frisco, CO
$300.00 to Provide assistance with the Fall 2013 Literacy Fair in Summit County CO
Summit County Library, North Branch
Silverthorne, CO
$750.00 to Fund Literacy Book Bags to promote literacy through parental involvement
Garfield County Public Library Foundation
Rifle, CO
$2,000.00 to Assist Library Foundation in presenting the "Discover Earth" exhibit
Summit Cove Elementary School Summer Reading Project
Frisco, CO
$1,500.00 to Provide books to students and share with parents how to create a culture of reading at home
Elk Creek Elementary School
New Castle, CO
$1,940.00 to Establish a "Reading Rendezvous" summer program to combat summer reading regression while strengthening parent connections
Red Canyon High School
Eagle, CO
$2,000.00 to Provide expansion of language arts offerings and addition of writing Response to Intervention classes
Grand Valley Public Radio Company
Grand Junction, CO
$1,000.00 to Provide support for the Children's Words Project
Friends of Grand County Library
Kremmling, CO
$1,000.00 to Fund Youth Services Early Literacy Kits designed to teach early literacy skills in library preschool story hours
Ross Montessori School 2013 Spring Science Fair
Carbondale, CO
$2,000.00 to Provide assistance in developing a school-wide science fair
Elkton Education Additional Resource
Elkton, OR
$1,400.00 to Purchase of a drumming instrument set for use in the K-5 music curriculum
Family Connections of Douglas County
Roseburg, OR
$2,000.00 to Support the "Growing Up WILD" child care program providing enhanced learning opportunities for children in day care
South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership
Roseburg, OR
$2,400.00 to Provide assistance for development of reading packets about utilizing wood "wastes" as soil amendments
East Primary School
Sutherlin, OR
$1,250.00 to Fund establishment of libraries of picture books to use in Kindergarten writing curriculum
Glide Middle School
Glide, OR
$575.00 to Fund a program to allow for progress monitoring reading, writing and math
Douglas County Youth Orchestra
Roseburg, OR
$1,250.00 to Support the orchestra's bow replacement program
Dos Rios and Meeker Elementary Schools
Evans/Greeley, CO
$1,750.00 to Fund development of a Sensory Garden at the Poudre Learning Center
Weld Central Junior/Senior High Schools
Keenesburg, CO
$1,500.00 to Purchase of books to be used in a reading contest between the Junior and Senior High Schools to develop an interest in reading for pleasure
City of Greeley Museums
Greeley, CO
$2,400.00 to Provide scholarships for students to attend the Fall History Festival at Centennial Village Museum
Ellicott Elementary School
Ellicott, CO
$1,800.00 to Fund Family Literacy Kits to be used during the summer library program
Get in the Act! Arts in Action
Stateline, NV
$1,750.00 to Provide a Science Action Theater residency at Tahoe Valley Elementary School
Tahoe Truckee Excellence in Education
Truckee, CA
$1,400.00 to Fund the El Andar Summer Program, a parent-engaged summer literacy program for low income students
Friends of the Library
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$750.00 to Provide eight weekly creative art experiences at the public library
Tahoe's Connection for Families
Incline Village, NV
$1,840.00 to Fund an early childhood literacy program teaching parents how to build literacy in their infants and toddlers
Eagle Valley Middle School
Carson City, NV
$550.00 to Fund the purchase of high-interest, low reading level books to assist students reading below grade level
Tahoe Institute for Natural Science
Incline Village, NV
$1,700.00 to Provide a set of in-school natural science curricula to connect natural surroundings to science learning experiences.
Sierra SmartPath
Soda Springs, CA
$2,000.00 to Fund adult literacy classes in Kings Beach, California and Truckee, California
Chicago Park School
Grass Valley, CA
$2,000.00 to Develop a hands-on, family-centered science program
Arts Educational Foundation
Nevada City, CA
$2,000.00 to Help implementation of the Watershed Academy, a team-learning project integrating literacy, art and science
Friends of the Libraries of Nevada County
Nevada City, CA
$2,000 to support current library programs and assist in maintenance of the libraries
ESL In-Home Program of Northern Nevada
Carson City, NV
$1,000 to support in-home literacy programs
Carson City Library Foundation
Carson City, NV
$1,000 to support literacy programs
Friends of Summit County Libraries
Frisco, CO
$2,000 to support Summit County Reads program and other library programs
Adventure Risk Challenge
Truckee, CA
$1,000 to support educational programs
Arts for the Schools
Truckee, Tahoe City CA and Incline Village NV
$1,000 to support art education in schools
Bijou Community School
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$2,000 to purchase computers for Bijou Community School and Tahoe Valley Elementary to help students choose appropriate books for their individual abilities and to teach students how to use a computer for research
South Lake Tahoe Humane Society
South Lake Tahoe, NV
$2,000 to supports "My Reading Buddy" dog-assisted literacy program to improve the reading skills of elementary students
Altrusa International Foundation
Roseburg, OR
$2,000 to provide programs for schools and families to assist in developing a child's interest in reading and raise the reading standard of children
Dos Rios Elementary School
Evans, CO
$2,000 to development and execution of a program to promote the integration of nutrition, fitness and reading through the "Fit Lit Program"
Weld County School District 6
Greeley, CO
$2,000 to support the superintendent's program to provide all elementary schools in the district with a first or second-grade take- home book pack to be shared each week
S. Christa McAuliffe Elementary School
Greeley, CO
$2,000 to provide targeted support for second graders who read below grade level and are lacking in phonics elements in an after-school program
Umpqua Community College Foundation
Roseburg, OR
$2,000 to provide literacy resources in four classrooms in the Ford Childhood Enrichment Center
Umpqua Community Health Center
Roseburg, OR
$2,000 to institute a "Reach Out and Read" program to train primary care medical providers on methods of advising parents on the importance of reading aloud to their children and provide a free book at wellness visits
Boys and Girls Club of Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$1,000 to create and publish the second edition of Kid Trib newspaper to be distributed in the community
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
Carson City Library Foundation, Inc.
Carson City, NV
$1,000 to help fund programs supporting literacy in the Carson City, Nevada area
ESL In-Home Program of Northern Nevada
Carson City, NV
$1,000 to help fund literacy programs through the in-home programs
South Tahoe Middle School
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$900 for a small group to travel to the Bay Area to study art
Sierra House Elementary School
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$1,300 to purchase books and writing software for the "Just the Facts" literacy program
Bijou Community School
South Lake Tahoe, CA
$2,000 to purchase children's books for a volunteer afterschool read-aloud mentoring program
Altrusa International, USA
Roseburg, OR
$2,000 to provide programs for schools and families to develop children's' interest in reading
Umpqua Community College
Roseburg, OR
$2,000 for reading centers in four classrooms to encourage independent reading in young students
Milliken Elementary School
Milliken, CO
$2,000 to purchase a Promethean Interactive Whiteboard for a 4th grade classroom
Greeley Central High School
Greeley, CO
$2,000 for a multimedia projector and laptop for the English and Journalism department
Superintendent, Weld County School District 6
Greeley, CO
$2,000 to establish a district-wide program providing a weekend take-home "book-pack"
Dos Rios Elementary School
Evans, CO
$2,000 to purchase materials to increase literacy and reading comprehension in reading, science and math
Stryker Institute for Leadership Development
Greeley, CO
$700 to fund a program bridging the gap between literacy and self-esteem for at-risk first generation middle school girls with a desire to go to college
Platte Valley Elementary School
Kersey, CO
$1,200 to fund parent literacy nights
Altrusa International Foundation, Inc.
Roseburg, OR
$2000 to provide a range of programs directed to schools and families to assist in the development of a child's interest in reading
Douglas County Museum Foundation
Roseburg, OR
$750 to provide Museum in the Park summer programming free of charge
The Melrose Reading Station
Roseburg, OR
$1500 to purchase a laptop computer and funded a literacy program
Phoenix School of Roseburg
Roseburg, OR
$700 to purchase age-appropriate classroom reading materials for 14 classrooms
Riddle Elementary School
Riddle, OR
$1700 to purchase a reading intervention component of the core reading program for the second grade
Sunnyslope Elementary School
Roseburg, OR
$700 to purchase lapel microphones and a mixer/amplifier for use in student written plays and other student performances
Umpqua Community College
Roseburg, OR
$2000 to purchase new books for the pre-kindergarten Literacy in Action program at the Ford Family Center
Umpqua Valley Arts Association
Roseburg, OR
$1500 to purchase art supplies for Art Express, an art history program that connects art techniques and history through hands-on lessons for elementary school children
