Jim Swan:  

Life Since graduation from Linden High I graduated from BYU, BA in Spanish, Masters in Library Science. I was a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More recently served as a Bishop in Great Bend, Kansas from 1996-2001. Taught school for 3 years in Utah and Colorado (1967-70). Public library director since 1971. Married Diana Derr from New York. We have 4 children and 17 grand children. I retired from directing the Great Bend Public Library and the Central Kansas Library System on February 1, 2009. I spend my time taking care of my wife, Diana, who is bedfast. She can get up into a wheelchair for a few hours each day when she feels like it. The one person from my past who I'd most like to see again is Carol Sheifferly,(Sorry about the spelling) because she was my first high school girl friend. I thought she was really cute and I liked her a lot. My first job after high school was working as a hod carrier. I mixed mud for 2 plasterers (stucco workers), set scaffold for them, and cleaned up. My pay was $3.56 per hour. My first job in college was to shelve books in the college library. My pay was $.85 per hour. In college I participated in intramural wrestling. I won first place in the unlimited weight class and have a trophy to prove it. I guess that I am one of the lucky ones because I have enjoyed the work I have done all of my life. Work has always been exciting and fun because to me learning new things makes me feel good. I have been the Director/Administrator for the Great Bend Public Library and the Central Kansas Library System for the past 31+ years. It has been a great ride. I plan to retire 1 February 2009 so I can take over for the caregiver for my wife. In 2006 we had a wheelchair-accessible house built to accommodate our disabilities. Diana has been bed fast since August of 2007. I get around in my wheelchair when I am home because I can't stand to s...Expand for more